BREAKING: Tee Higgins labeled as Bengals trade candidate before deadline

With the NFL Trade Deadline just under two weeks away, teams are starting to make moves, positioning themselves as either buyers or sellers. However, this distinction isn’t always clear for every team. Take the 3-4 Cincinnati Bengals, for example. They are in a situation where they could reasonably lean in either direction. A key factor in their decision-making could be their situation with wide receiver Tee Higgins.

After two consecutive offseasons without securing Higgins to a long-term deal, the Bengals placed the franchise tag on the 25-year-old wideout, prompting a trade request from him. Six months later, it seems Higgins and the Bengals are still heading toward a split in 2025, which could push Cincinnati to consider a trade for their second-leading receiver.

“Teams have shown interest in Tee Higgins, but with Cincy still in the playoff hunt, trading him is questionable,” writes ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler. However, ESPN’s Ben Baby offers a different perspective: “The Bengals haven’t been able to sign Higgins over the last two offseasons and placed the franchise tag on him for 2024. With 341 receiving yards, three touchdowns, and no drops on 44 targets after missing two games with a hamstring injury, the Bengals can’t afford to pay both him and Ja’Marr Chase. If they aren’t serious contenders, trading Higgins makes sense to recoup value.”

Currently, ESPN gives Cincinnati a 37.4% chance to make the playoffs, the ninth-best odds in the AFC. While this may seem low for a team that’s made the AFC Championship Game in each of Joe Burrow’s fully healthy seasons, there’s still time for the Bengals to turn things around. Three of their four losses have come against division leaders (Kansas City, Washington, and Baltimore), and with ten games remaining, their postseason chances can still improve.