Tee Higgins reportedly requests trade from Cincinnati Bengals. Why Titans are natural suitor
Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins has reportedly requested a trade, putting his home state Tennessee Titans back in the discussion to potentially land one of the NFL's most talented young pass catchers.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Higgins is "disappointed" the Bengals haven't engaged with him in extension talks in the past year and is looking for a fresh start. The Oak Ridge product and two-time Tennessee State Mr. Football winner was franchise tagged by the Bengals last month, meaning the Bengals retain his rights for one more year, but Higgins is free to hold out for a trade or long-term extension.
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. He’s ready to move on to a new… pic.twitter.com/T0qy7uMu8n
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2024
The Titans' connection to Higgins goes beyond his hometown. Titans coach Brian Callahan was the Bengals' offensive coordinator from 2019-23, a span that comprises all four years of Higgins' professional career. Under Callahan's watch, Higgins amassed 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns, including 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and 2022.
Since Higgins was franchise tagged, he is not a free agent. The only way for the Titans, or any other team, to acquire him this offseason would be via a trade. After a trade, Higgins' new team would be able to keep him on the franchise tag and pay him that salary for one year or negotiate a long-term contract extension.
Receiver is one of the Titans' biggest needs for 2024. Veteran DeAndre Hopkins has one year remaining on his contract, but beyond Hopkins the Titans' only receivers are Treylon Burks, Kyle Philips and Colton Dowell, the latter of which is recovering from a torn ACL and the former two have struggled to stay healthy in their two seasons with the Titans.
The NFL free agency window opens Monday, with teams now able to negotiate with players. Free agency officially begins Wednesday, the first day players will be able to sign contracts with teams other than the ones they played for last season.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tee Higgins requesting trade away from Cincinnati Bengals | Report