NFL Analysis
11/20/24
7 min read
2025 NFL Free Agency: Top Landing Spots for Bengals WR Tee Higgins
The Cincinnati Bengals are facing their second straight season without reaching the playoffs, with a looming question about the future of wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Higgins has battled injuries this year, struggling to stay on the field. However, he's been an electric playmaker when healthy, putting up 489 yards and four touchdowns in six games and averaging a strong 2.27 yards per route run.
This has been the most efficient season of Higgins' career, and it's coming at the perfect time. He's spent this season playing on the franchise tag, making $21.8 million, and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Higgins will be one of the most highly-coveted free agents of the offseason, and there are more than a handful of teams who would be interested in bringing him in. However, there are only a handful of teams that would be ideal fits for both parties.
Free Agency Landing Spots for Tee Higgins
imagine trying to bracket Tee Higgins and failing this badly pic.twitter.com/HVGEVRsVgZ
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) November 18, 2024
Cincinnati Bengals 
If the Cincinnati Bengals want to bring Higgins back with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, they better be ready to give him a bag.
The two sides had a contentious negotiation period before Higgins was franchise-tagged. Things got bad enough that the star receiver requested a trade from the team back in March.
Cincinnati technically could accord to bring Higgins back, with a projected $65 million in cap space for 2025. However, that would mean the Bengals would have to let significant contributors walk due to a sizable free agent class after this season. There's also the situation with Chase, who is expecting an extension of his own in the near future.
That will make negotiations tricky for Higgins, but he could be persuaded to stay with Burrow, who has helped make him a star in the NFL. Staying in Cincinnati could be even more enticing if the Bengals moved on from Zac Taylor and hired someone like Ben Johnson as their next head coach.
New England Patriots
There might be another team that is more hungry for a weapon, like Higgins, than the New England Patriots.
Drake Maye has quickly shown that he has what it takes to be the long-term answer at quarterback for New England. However, the team needs to prioritize the offensive line and wide receiver help this offseason to put Maye in a position to succeed in 2025 and beyond.
Fortunately, the Patriots are in an excellent position to reload their roster quickly. Along with a projected top draft position, they're expected to have $132 million in cap space, allowing them to be aggressive with free agents across the board.
Higgins could easily slot in as the team's No. 1 receiver. They have some promising young weapons like Demario Douglas and Ja'Lynn Polk, but neither is ready to handle the responsibilities of being a top target.
The Patriots could go in a different direction and prioritize offensive line help in free agency while taking a player like Tetairoa McMillan in the NFL Draft. However, if Higgins shows interest in New England, it might be wise for the Patriots to alter their strategy.
Washington Commanders
Going from one former LSU star quarterback to another might be a viable option for Higgins and one that Washington Commanders fans would be thrilled to see.
Jayden Daniels has emerged as the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year with a sensational start to his NFL career. He's quickly established a strong connection with Terry McLaurin, who is on pace for the best season of his six-year career.
However, the Commanders don't have another established star at receiver, and Higgins brings a completely different skill set to McLaurin. While the current Commanders' No. 1 target is a smooth separator, Higgins is a big-bodied, twitchy outside wide receiver with terrific body control.
The Commanders don't necessarily need another star wide receiver to survive. They're one of the top teams in the league in terms of pass success rate and EPA per dropback.
Still, giving Daniels a prototype at both Z and X receiver could make the Commanders' offense even more dangerous. They have the financial flexibility to make it happen as well, with nearly $100 million in expected cap space for 2025.
Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert looks like the quarterback analysts have wanted him to be lately, but he's still waiting for the Los Angeles Chargers to give him that star receiver.
The good news is that a few young players are starting to emerge on offense, especially Ladd McConkey. The former Georgia Bulldogs wideout has continued to be an effective separator with good athletic ability at the NFL level, generating a strong 2.24 yards per route run.
McConkey looks like he could be the team's long-term Z as a smaller separator, but the Chargers could consider an upgrade at X over Quentin Johnston. It's worth noting that Johnston has completely turned around from a disappointing rookie season, catching six touchdowns while averaging 16.1 yards per reception.
However, despite having nearly identical frames, Johnston isn't close to the same kind of playmaker that Higgins is. Higgins is a much more reliable catcher of the football outside of his frame, making absurd catches like this one with ease.
THIS CATCH 🤯#ProBowlVote x Tee Higgins pic.twitter.com/wrZeJlZe1U
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 16, 2023
Herbert could take an extra step up in his production with a weapon like Higgins. He could throw it up to a star receiver and trust them to make a play on the ball.
With $75 million in cap space, signing a player like Higgins could mean letting someone like Khalil Mack walk in free agency. However, with the emergence of Tuli Tuipulotu, the Chargers might feel comfortable enough with their pass rush to go after a top-tier weapon for Herbert.
Las Vegas Raiders
Things could look drastically different for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025, starting with the head coach and the quarterback.
The Raiders are projected to have one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and they'll almost certainly try to take a quarterback in the first round. One of the top quarterback prospects in this draft is Shedeur Sanders, who has appeared to be tweeting in celebration every time the Raiders have lost, potentially rooting for them to tank and take him.
There has already been speculation about Deion Sanders leaving the college ranks to coach his son at the NFL level. The Raiders could make the move to hire Deion and draft his son, but Shedeur would still need some extra firepower beyond Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers.
The Raiders have $112 million in cap space next season. If they end up drafting a quarterback like Sanders, they could give him an established No. 1 receiver like Higgins.
An offense with Sanders, Higgins, Bowers, and Meyers could quickly become one of the most exciting units in the NFL.
