The No. 1 NFL free agent of 2025
As teams around the league start preparing their offseason moves, there’s a 26-year-old wide receiver that is getting a lot of interest.
The 2024 NFL season was a disappointing one for the Cincinnati Bengals, finishing third in AFC North and failing to make the playoffs for a second year on the bounce.
They have superstars in Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson but couldn’t gel into a winning team in 2024. Major offseason moves are expected to reshape the roster and that could mean some significant outgoings. With wide receiver Chase already earning big money the Bengals may have to let go of another receiver, one who has the potential to be among the best in the league.
The contract of WR Tee Higgins expires at the end of the season and the Bengals may struggle to keep hold of him. The decision would also be a result of Chase’s form in 2024, leading the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving TDs.
But while Chase is he undisputed first receiver in the team, Higgins is also an extremely talented player and could prove a key player elsewhere. QB Burrow has made clear that he is unhappy with the Bengals' failure to tie Higgins down to a new deal, saying: “You don’t want to make a living out of letting great players leave the building.
Higgins only played 12 games in 2024 but still finished with 10 touchdown catches, the sixth-most in the entire league. He is now 26, meaning that he is coming into his peak years and at 6ft 4in, 219lbs he would add real physicality to an underpowered offensive unit. For the Bengals, however, it’s simply a matter of economics.
“It’s possible, but would require some significant trade-offs,” an AFC executive told ESPN. “They will have close to $70 million a year tied up in receivers, plus the quarterback cost. I think it makes more sense to go the cheap route, especially given the improvements they need to make on defense.”
As you would expect, there will be plenty of interest in Higgins in the offseason. Physical receivers with a proven record in the league are always at a premium and he has has plenty of time left in his career to assimilate into a new set-up.
Pro Football Focus named the Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders and the New England Patriots as potential landing spots for Higgins, all of whom have plenty of money to spend.
Last year Higgins signed a one-year extension with the Bengals with $21.8 million, making him the 19th-highest paid WR in the league. He will likely expect an increase on that from his next deal and the Commanders, Raiders and Patriots could all find room in their salary cap for a huge deal. In fact, those three teams have the most cap space of any NFL team heading into 2025.
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