Tee Higgins addresses his future with the Bengals following trade request

Despite publicly requesting a trade, Tee Higgins doesn’t see himself playing for another team in 2024. The Bengals‘ receiver, who has been in pursuit of a new contract, does not think that Cincinnati will trade him before the start of the upcoming season. 

“We’ll see. I do anticipate (staying in Cincinnati),” Higgins said during his youth football camp, via Fox19. “Cincy has grown on me. I love Cincy. … Looking forward to it.” 

Higgins’ desire to stay in Cincinnati is nothing new; he just wants the team to commit to him long term. He’s currently slated to play the 2024 season under the franchise tag that will pay him $21.816 million this season. 

The Bengals haven’t ruled out re-signing Higgins, but the two sides reportedly haven’t discussed a new deal since last offseason, which led to Higgins requesting a trade earlier this offseason that has led to non-stop speculation about his future with the team. 

The Bengals’ brass has expressed their desire to keep Higgins, but that doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t change their mind if a team made them an offer they can’t refuse. A mid-first round pick, for example, might compel the Bengals to trade Higgins either before or during the NFL Draft. 

Cincinnati wouldn’t have any issues finding teams that would trade for Higgins if that’s the direction that they decide to go in. The Steelers, for example, are looking for a veteran wideout and have reportedly discussed the possibility of trading for Higgins. 

Regardless of where he plays, Higgins is surely looking to have a big year after injuries limited his production last season. The return of Joe Burrow following last year’s season-ending wrist injury will undoubtedly help Higgins rack up numbers in what could be in his final year in Cincinnati.