On the day before the 2024 NFL draft, Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Tee Higgins informed his team he wanted a trade. The Bengals placed the franchise tag on the 2020 second-round pick and haven’t had contract negotiations with Higgins in over a year.
With the Bengals needing to pay fellow wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase soon, it’s long been expected that Cincinnati would eventually trade Higgins. However, the Bengals have remained adamant that he is part of their plans—with Chase.
Once news of Higgins’ request went public, a former college teammate at Clemson made a pitch for the star wideout to come to the Washington Commanders.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”5375″ ]
Washington defensive end K.J. Henry played two years at Clemson with Higgins. Henry sent Higgins the following message on X — formerly Twitter.
Hey buddy 😁😁😁 @teehiggins5 https://t.co/8sYjB4rKVF pic.twitter.com/8KfIN1qXrC
— KJ Henry (@thekjhenry) April 25, 2024
If the Bengals trade Higgins, the new team will need to surrender draft compensation and pay him at the top of the market. In four seasons, Higgins has gone over 1,000 yards receiving twice. Higgins battled injuries in 2023.
Washington is expected to draft LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. Higgins would give the Commanders a big wideout, something they currently lack.
However, don’t expect the Bengals to move Higgins, and it’s doubtful Washington parts with the required draft compensation.