Many, many teams figure to get in line for Tee Higgins in free agency this offseason, should the Cincinnati Bengals let him reach the open market.
But one team might be more desperate than the pack for his services.
According to Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, one NFL general manager thinks the New England Patriots will make the biggest run of all at Higgins:
“I think he’s going to New England,” the first GM said. Patriots owner Robert Kraft “took a lot of s— for not spending any money, rightfully so, and I hear they really want this guy.”
RELATED: Bengals QB Joe Burrow makes a promise to Caitlin Clark
The Bengals can make this a non-conversation at all by applying a second franchise tag to Higgins, which would check in around the $26 million mark. That could be less than the $30 million average annual value he’s projected to get on the market — and buy them more time to agree on a long-term extension.
Still, it’s not a shock to hear a rebuilding team like the Patriots would overpay for Higgins in free agency to help the development of a successful rookie quarterback like Drake Maye.
As if Joe Burrow isn’t applying enough pressure on his own about Higgins, these types of teams lurking in the shadows add even more urgency to how the Bengals approach this offseason’s biggest questions.