Bengals' Tee Higgins requests trade as NFL offseason gets into full gear: reports

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins reportedly requested a trade Monday as the league’s contract negotiation period in free agency gets set to open.

The Bengals used the franchise tag on Higgins as it appeared the two sides were going to potentially negotiate a contract extension. But the NFL Network reported that Higgins’ side had no discussion about a long-term deal before the player received the tag.

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Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals warms up for the Jaguars game at EverBank Stadium on Dec. 4, 2023, in Jacksonville, Florida. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

If Higgins signs the tag, he will play for the Bengals on a one-year contract worth $21.8 million. Bengals coach Zac Taylor suggested that Higgins would be a part of the offense moving forward.

"Tee has done an outstanding job for us since we drafted him in 2020," he said in a statement when Higgins received the tag. "I’m glad that he’ll continue to be a big part of our offense and our team."

But that appeared to change Monday.

The Bengals selected Higgins in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He quickly became among the top targets for Joe Burrow and fit nicely as the No. 2 wide receiver along with Ja’Marr Chase. His targets increased from his rookie season to his second year, even with the addition of Chase.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins before the Chiefs game on Dec 31, 2023, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Last season, Higgins only played in 12 games as Cincinnati was bit by the injury bug. He had 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdown catches. Cincinnati finished 9-8.

He has 257 catches for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns in his first four NFL seasons.

It’s unclear which teams could be interested in Higgins.

New York Jets running back Breece Hall had a message for his teammates Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson amid the reports Higgins requested a trade.

Tee Higgins of the Bengals runs with the ball against Roquan Smith of the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC wild-card playoff game at Paycor Stadium on Jan. 15, 2023, in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

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"Bout time we light another bonfire huh," Hall wrote on X.

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