Patriots Get More Positive News on Tee Higgins

There may be hope for the New England Patriots' pursuit of Tee Higgins after all.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a pass in the first quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For a little while there, it was looking like the New England Patriots had no chance of signing Tee Higgins in free agency. It appeared that the Cincinnati Bengals were bound to keep him.

But perhaps there is still a sliver of hope for the Patriots.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that some around the NFL weren't entirely sold on the concept of the Bengals financially being able to retain Higgins, and some more recent news has once again made the idea of Cincinnati keeping Higgins a bit dicey.

Fellow Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase is due for a contract extension, and Cincinnati's director of player personnel Duke Tobin has said that it's coming.

“We’re going to reward Ja’Marr,” Tobin told reporters, via ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter added that the Bengals seem prepared to make Chase the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, which would make it awfully difficult for them to retain Higgins.

Cincinnati is expected to slap a franchise tag on Higgins, but that would not necessarily mean that he would definitely be spending 2026 in Cincy.

The Bengals could tag him and then trade him, and in that scenario, the Patriots would represent a very possible destination for the 26-year-old.

Of course, Higgins does have a bit of a say here. New England may be less inclined to make a move for him if he outright informs the Pats ahead of time that he would not be re-signing with them long term. It seems hard to imagine the Patriots would surrender valuable assets for one year of Higgins.

That being said, New England desperately needs to add weapons, as it laid claim to probably the worst receiving corps in football this past season.

Higgins caught 73 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024.\

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