Admin November 2, 2024
NFL Week 9 picks and predictions
Lorenzo Reyes is back with his best bets for NFL Week 9 games.
Lorenzo’s Locks
Cincinnati Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said before that he’s not in the business of making other teams better. He plans to use the same approach as the NFL’s Nov. 5 trade deadline approaches.
Barring a change of heart, the Bengals do not plan on trading wide receiver Tee Higgins, a person close to the situation inform USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Higgins, a 2020 second-round pick by the Bengals, is presumably playing his final season in Cincinnati.
The fifth-year wide receiver is begrudgingly playing this year under the one-year franchise tag worth $21.8 million. Higgins had hoped to sign a long-term extension before the start of the regular season, but a long-term pact never materialized. Higgins even requested the Bengals trade him during the offseason when contract talks never heated up.
However, the Bengals declined to trade Higgins during offseason, and they aren’t seriously entertaining offers for the wideout now.
Higgins is likely to miss his second straight game due to a quad injury. He is listed as “doubtful” for Sunday’s contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. He has 29 catches, 341 receiving yards and three touchdowns in five games this year.
He’s tallied 286 catches, 4,025 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns in 63 career regular-season games all in a Bengals uniform. He’s the fifth-fastest player in Bengals history to surpass 4,000 receiving yards.
Why Bengals haven’t signed Tee Higgins to long-term extension
The Bengals have prioritized signing wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to a lucrative extension over Higgins.
However, Chase and the Bengals have yet to agree on a multi-year deal. Chase currently leads the NFL this year in receiving yards (674) and receiving touchdowns (seven).
Why Bengals won’t trade Tee Higgins
The Bengals typically aren’t buyers or sellers during the trade deadline. Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said at the 2024 NFL scouting combine that the team isn’t interested in trading Higgins.
“I’m not in the business of making other teams better. I’m in the business of making the Cincinnati Bengals better. So trading Tee Higgins is not on my mind,” Tobin told reporters. “That’s (other teams’) problem – they want a receiver, go find your own.
“In my opinion, Tee Higgins is a good piece for the Cincinnati Bengals, so the trade stuff is a little ridiculous right now.”
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.