The Cincinnati Bengals have a pivotal offseason ahead, as the team will look to bolster a roster that has missed the playoffs the last two years and posted a 9-8 record in 2024 despite historic seasons from quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Cincinnati’s biggest offseason storyline is the uncertain future of wide receiver Tee Higgins. The 2020 second-round pick was franchise-tagged by the team last offseason and is set to hit unrestricted free agency in March.
The Bengals would like to bring Higgins back, but with Chase in line for a contract extension, it’s unlikely that Cincinnati will be able to pay two wide receivers top-of-the-market money.
If the Bengals aren’t able to re-sign Higgins this offseason, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes the team is a potential landing spot for Miami Dolphins superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
“Tyreek Hill will turn 31 in March, and his production took a dive this season,” Knox wrote. “However, he’s still a speedy difference-maker and would likely be the top receiver on the trade market if made available.”
“Cincinnati could be a viable landing spot if the Bengals don’t retain Tee Higgins. The Bengals want to get back to contention in a hurry, and partnering Hill with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Chase Brown might give them the most explosive offense in the league,” Knox added.
Hill has been involved in trade rumors since he opened the door to playing elsewhere after the Dolphins’ Week 18 loss to the New York Jets. Though general manager Chris Grier stated that the veteran receiver didn’t ask for a trade when he met with him shortly after the season concluded, the three-time All-Pro’s future in Miami is still murky.
Though Hill is a dynamic playmaker who would take the Bengals’ offense to the next level, there is a slim chance the eight-time Pro Bowler will be traded to Cincinnati, and it would be an unwise move.
Hill still has two years left on his three-year, $90 million extension he signed with Miami in 2024. If the Bengals were to trade for the former fifth-round pick, the franchise would have to give the Dolphins valuable draft capital and likely pay most of Hill’s salary, which would limit other positions on the roster.
If Cincinnati doesn’t have enough resources to retain Higgins, then they likely won’t have enough to acquire Tyreek Hill and pay his contract till 2027. Pairing Hill with Chase would form one of the greatest wide receiver duos in recent NFL history, but there is close to zero chance of it happening.
Leave a Reply