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A new report about Tee Higgins is bad news for Patriots
Tee Higgins was expected to be the top free-agent WR on the open market this offseason.
The Patriots are set to enter the offseason with a league-best $119 million in cap space.
But it’s looking like New England won’t be able to use any of that fiscal flexibility on pending free agent Tee Higgins.
Despite Higgins’ standing as the top free-agent receiver on the market, the Bengals wideout may not even make it to free agency.
James Rapien of Sports Illustrated reported on Monday that the Bengals plan on placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on Higgins for a second consecutive season if he doesn’t come to terms on a long-term extension before the March 4 deadline.
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“Last year the Bengals tagged Higgins and there wasn’t much dialogue about a long-term contract,” Rapien wrote. “He was the only player that was tagged by his team last year that didn’t sign a multi-year extension. This year feels different. The Bengals plan to sign the star receiver to a long-term deal, sources say.”
Even if the Bengals are not able to hammer out a long-term deal with Higgins, they could follow a similar script as this past season and keep him on a one-year deal worth $26.18 million.
Whichever scenario plays out for Higgins and Cincinnati, it spells bad news for the Patriots, who are in desperate need of a No. 1 wide receiver to pair with Drake Maye.
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Despite all of the promise that Maye showcased during the 2024 season, New England’s offense has been hindered by the lack of a proven pass-catcher.
During that 2024 campaign, DeMario Douglas finished with the most receiving yards among Patriots receivers with 621 — while Kayshon Boutte’s 117 receiving yards during the team’s season finale against the Bills was the first time a Patriots WR recorded 100-plus yards in a game since Kendrick Bourne in Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season.
The last time a Patriots receiver recorded 1,000-plus yards in a single season was Julian Edelman in 2019.
Higgins has feasted against opposing secondaries since arriving in the NFL, surpassing 900 yards in four of his five seasons since turning pro. The 26-year-old wideout appeared in 12 games during the 2024 season, recording 73 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Even though Higgins has benefitted from lining up on the side wideout corps as Ja’Marr Chase, he is a skilled pass-catcher in his own right.
While several other free-agent wide receivers like Chris Godwin are set to hit the market, Higgins would have been the most appealing target for New England given both his age and talent.
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