Green Bay, Wisconsin — If you’re expecting the Green Bay Packers strike some wide receiver gold this spring, you can easily cross Tee Higgins off your wishlist.
According to Sports Illustrated’s James Rapien, the Cincinnati Bengals’ top wide receiver, who isn’t even the best on his team, is slated to be placed on the non-exclusive franchise tag for the second straight season. The window for player tagging opens on Tuesday, February 18 at 4 p.m. ET and concludes on March 4 at the same time. With Higgins tagged, another team may conceivably trade for him, but the non-exclusive tag will cost two first-round picks. That is simply not going to happen.
The plan is to keep Higgins coupled with his quarterback, Joe Burrow, and fellow pass-catcher Ja’Marr Chase, who is largely regarded as one of the two finest in the NFL at his position alongside Justin Jefferson. They comprise perhaps the best trio in football, and many believe they will remain together for the foreseeable future. Rapien reports that the Bengals plan to sign the 26-year-old Higgins to a long-term contract after he is tagged.
That, of course, will take time.
Higgins has played 70 games over five seasons, catching 330 of his 512 targets for 4,595 yards and 34 touchdowns. He’s on the verge of breaking into the franchise’s all-time top ten in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, where he stands 13th and 11th, respectively.
Higgins will not have the opportunity to hit free agency, but if he had, it’s reasonable to anticipate the Packers to be all over him. They were very interested in Higgins throughout the selection process in the spring of 2020, but instead of picking him at No. 30 overall, the Packers traded up four spots with the Miami Dolphins to choose Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. Ironically, if Green Bay were to get Love, Higgins would be receiving passes from him; however, he was picked seven spots later by the Bengals, and it does not appear that he will be leaving anytime soon.
The Packers are in need of a top receiver, but internal growth appears unlikely. Christian Watson is expected to miss the bulk of next season, his final year under contract with the Packers, due to a serious knee injury. Romeo Doubs is also entering the final year of his rookie contract and has struggled to remain healthy in his own manner. He missed one game last season due to a suspension and suffered two concussions, which cost him even more time, casting doubt on his future with the squad. Despite their strong expectations, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks have suffered with declines.
If the Packers are going to bring in a wideout who grabs attention, they must look outward. That may come through the draft—which appears to be the most likely option given the team’s track record of drafting and nurturing talent—or they could seek someone else on the open market in March.
Players include Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, and Amari Cooper will become accessible. Davante Adams, who spent eight seasons receiving Aaron Rodgers’ passes in Green Bay, is also slated to be released by the Jets. The only drawback is that they’re all nearing the conclusion of their careers—Cooper is the youngest of the four, turning 31 in June—and the Packers traditionally favor younger free-agent signings.
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