Bengals' Tee Higgins Requests Trade, Prefers C.J. Stroud; Should Texans Make Offer?

The Houston Texans may look to raise the ceiling of their passing attack by adding another star receiver. Is frustrated Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins worth trading for?

The Cincinnati Bengals have boasted one of the league’s most feared passing attacks, combining the likes of quarterback Joe Burrow with receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

However, the cap constraints of the NFL have reminded fans time and time again that all good things must come to an end, and with the Bengals seemingly unwilling to make Higgins one of the sport’s highest-paid receivers, he has begun looking for greener pastures.

On Monday, Higgins officially requested a trade, potentially cutting his time in Cincinnati short. Should the Houston Texans be interested?

Dec 31, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) is unable to make the catch as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) defends during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium / Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Unsurprisingly, Higgins is looking for long-term financial security, and in typical Bengals fashion, they aren’t rushing to make a strong offer.

“Bengals franchise WR Tee Higgins has requested a trade, per sources. Higgins loves Cincinnati and hoped to be with the team long term, but is disappointed that the team has not had any talks about a long-term contract extension since March 2023,” Adam Schefter tweeted. “He’s ready to move on to a new home.”

Higgins missed time this season with hamstring injuries but when he has been on the field, he’s been one of the more productive receivers in the sport. He caught 42 of his 76 targets this past season for 656 yards and five scores but has two 1,000-yard seasons to his name and has amassed 24 touchdowns in four professional seasons.

At 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, Higgins is a big-bodied field stretcher who wins at the catch point and is surprisingly strong after the catch. His well-rounded game blends well with virtually any team he’d potentially land with. That includes Houston, who has a similarly-styled receiver in Nico Collins but could find itself in the market for another star receiver.

From a pure needs-based perspective, Higgins should rank particularly high on the Texans’ list of offseason priorities. The passing attack was good last year, Collins asserted himself as a star, and rookie Tank Dell was fantastic before an injury cut his season short.

With that said, elite passing offenses tend to dominate in today’s NFL, and combining quarterback C.J. Stroud with Higgins, Collins, Dell, and recently re-signed Dalton Schultz is bound to create fireworks. That potential in itself is worth investigating.

If the Bengals are to trade Higgins, they’ll be looking for draft capital that Houston could spare. The Texans currently hold the 24th pick in the NFL Draft, and it’s reasonable to expect Higgins to go for a package including a pick between 20 and 40. It would certainly put a dent in their arsenal of picks but is hardly impossible to overcome.

From there, Houston would have to sign him to a long-term deal without any semblance of leverage. Higgins’ skill set justifiably mitigates that risk, but paying him and Collins may not be feasible. Is it worth dealing with legitimate draft capital if it means a homegrown star doesn’t get a second contract? Higgins will likely get paid more than Collins, too, and general manager Nick Caserio may prefer the value his player offers.

To help his case, though, Higgins recently listed quarterbacks he’d like to catch passes from. While hardly a definitive list, it’s no surprise that he listed teams viewed as potential landing spots. The Texans are bound to be at least semi-interested, and Houston can offer similar perks to Cincinnati – quality quarterback play and a Super Bowl window.

“Obviously I want to play with Joe at the end of the day,” Higgins said. “Other than that, obviously I would love to go play with my college quarterback Trevor, I would love to play with C.J. Stroud, what he’s done this last season for his rookie season. And one more … Lamar, Josh Allen, there’s a bunch of them that I’d like to play with.”

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Higgins’ talent is more than worthy of making the call. He’s an uber-talented target who fits their timeline and could put up even better numbers with an increased target share.

While Houston isn’t necessarily the front-runner for his services, it shouldn’t be written off either. Rather than Higgins’ future contract or the potential pick compensation being an issue, the biggest thing standing in the way of Higgins in Houston is emphasizing the other side of the ball with its surplus of cap space.