Patriots Will Be 'All In' on Bengals Star WR

The New England Patriots seem to be zeroing in on one player in particular in NFL free agency.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a pass across the middle over Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (39) in the third quarter of the NFL Week 13 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. The Steelers won 44-38. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New England Patriots kind of have to knock it out of the park in free agency this coming offseason, especially after the disaster that was last spring.

Fortunately, the Patriots will have ample cap room to make something happen, and Chad Graff of The Athletic has revealed a major update on New England's plans.

"Here’s an easy guess simply from reading the tea leaves: The Patriots are going to be all in on Tee Higgins," Graff wrote. "They’ve shown an interest in established receivers, and Higgins is the best free agent. I expect them to offer him the moon. The question is whether he says yes or no."

The Pats have been linked to Higgins for quite some time now, as the general expectation is that the Cincinnati Bengals will not be retaining the star wide receiver.

The Patriots are in dire need of help at the skill positions, as they probably lay claim to the worst group of players at those spots in all of football.

Higgins would instantly fill a major need for New England, but Graff is right: there is a chance that Higgins decides he wants to play elsewhere.

Now, it should be said that the Pats are definitely a more appealing destination now than they were in, say, September, and that's due to the presence of Drake Maye under center.

However, the Patriots are just 3-10 and are clearly not contenders, so Higgins may opt to play for a team that has a better chance of winning in 2025.

That being said, Higgins is still just 25 years old, so he may also simply choose to join the team that offers him the most money.

Luckily, New England has a whole lot of cash in the till. The hope is that it does not strike out on Higgins in the same way it did on Calvin Ridley last March.

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