NFL News: Part 2

Bengals WR Higgins Request Trade – Tee Higgins wants out, and a number of other teams are ready and willing to pay for his services.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ No. 2 receiver is “disappointed” with the lack of movement to get a deal done on an extension and has requested a trade, according to ESPN.

Cincinnati recently franchise-tagged Higgins for $21.8 million for the 2024 season.

“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,” ESPN’s Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter tweeted. “He’s ready to move on to a new home.”

While the trade request is not an imminent guarantee that Higgins has played his last game for the Bengals, it provides him leverage and a noteworthy wrinkle prior to NFL free agency, which gets underway Wednesday.

The potential free-agent class took a significant blow with Higgins being tagged and Mike Evans re-signing with the Buccaneers, leaving Calvin Ridley as arguably the top option.

Higgins, 25 years-of-age, likely would vault into the top available option, although he likely would not come at a discount.

The Clemson product is one of the elite No. 2 receivers in the NFL behind all-world receiver Ja’Marr Chase, and it is natural to think he could excel as a No. 1 option.

Higgins has hauled in 403 receptions for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons, including last year’s injury-plagued campaign, when he was sidelined for five games, in which he registered 42 catches for 656 yards and five scores. The former second-round pick caught 74 passes while clearing 1,000 yards in the two prior seasons.

Higgins certainly would make sense for both of the teams that occupy the ‘Big Apple’, the Giants and Jets.

The Giants need an alpha receiver, especially with the injury-prone tight end Darren Waller already strongly mulling over retirement after a lackluster season.

The Jets need another weapon alongside Garrett Wilson, with last year’s prized free-agent signing Allan Lazard providing next to nothing before being benched.

It would be expected that any team acquiring Higgins would be chomping at the bit to sign him to a long-term extension.

And…
Colts, WR Pittman Finalizing $70M Deal – Michael Pittman Jr. will be staying home in Indianapolis as the wide receiver and the Colts have worked out and agreed on a three-year extension, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The deal can be worked up to a $71.5 million maximum value and the 26-year-old is guaranteed $46 million.

Last Wednesday, Pittman Jr. was one of eight NFL players to be slapped with the non-exclusive franchise tag. Because of that, he was able to dip his toe in the water and negotiate with other teams and any offer he received the Colts would have a chance to match.

With the NFL free agent market opening Monday, neither side wasted any time in hammering out a deal to keep Pittman Jr. in blue and white.

During the 2023 season, Pittman Jr. enjoyed a coming out party of sorts, with career highs in receptions (109) and receiving yards (1,152 yards) and also found paydirt four times in 16 games.

Pittman Jr., a 2020 second-round draft pick out of USC, has two 1,000-yard receiving seasons under his belt in his four-year NFL career. He has been a productive player despite being subjected to a carousel of signal caller, playing with seven since entering the league. His 3,662 receiving yards put him fifth among other wide receivers from his draft class.