https://nesn.com/2025/03/nfl-rumors-insane-details-of-report-patriots-targets-contract/
The talk of the 2025 offseason in New England surrounded the prime opportunity the Patriots were expected to have to finally get Tee Higgins in the door and on the team. The Bengals receiver was set to hit free agency for the first time in his career, with plenty of teams looking to persuade him they were the ones to sign with.
But the Patriots were projected to be the favorite, given how much cap space they had available and the significant hole on their offensive roster Higgins would immediately fill.
It was even reported that Mike Vrabel and Co. were willing to go all in on making sure they won the battle to sign the receiver, only for that chance to be stripped from them by the Bengals franchise-tagging him for the second year in a row. That effectively took the Patriots out of contention to talk to Higgins, allowing the Bengals to work on getting an extension done.
Although there was a lot of pessimism about them reaching a contract extension given their lack of ability over the past two years, Higgins signed a 4-year extension last week, breaking the hearts of many Patriots fans in the process.
He received a hefty payday that they could have offered or added more to, worsening the situation. But if that wasn't bad enough, HIggins' contract details make it impossible not to question why the Patriots didn't go harder on getting a trade done or why the receiver even signed the extension in the first place.
Tee Higgins' new contract doesn't make a lot of sense for him nor the Patriots' lack of push to get a trade done
When the initial reports were released about Higgins reaching a deal with the Bengals, it was clear he had gotten what seemed like a fair contract and got what he had been looking for from his team.
However, that quickly changed once his contract details were released, which was broken down by Pro Football Talk, and seemed to make the new deal look like one Higgins never should have agreed to.
Uhhhh Tee? https://t.co/73M5jy4x6I pic.twitter.com/Cr7G2Rp8NK
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) March 21, 2025
Related: Perfect Tee Higgins replacement named as possible trade target for Patriots
What stood out the most was the lack of guarantees and the Bengals' ability to cut him in year two and beyond for virtually nothing. It's a very team-friendly deal that doesn't make much sense for someone in Higgins' position to sign in the prime of his career, especially when other teams around the league would have offered him a significantly better salary, including the Patriots.
It seems clear he wasn't looking for money and more so hoping to win a championship with the team that drafted him, even if he had previously implied he wanted to be one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL.
That isn't the case with this new contract, and it makes it easy to question why the Patriots seemingly sat on their hands regarding pursuing a trade. The Bengals were reportedly not interested in dealing Higgins, but it also doesn't appear they were willing to give him the contract he earned and deserved.
It might not have mattered if Vrabel and Co. tried harder in the long run, but it would've been less unsettled had reports stated they pushed to get a trade done instead of just accepting what the Bengals were saying. Maybe if Higgins knew what the Patriots were willing to offer, things would have been different. But they never had that chance.
Instead, they're looking into other options, like Stefon Diggs and Tyler Lockett, or they will have to look at the draft for the caliber of receiver they need for Drake Maye this year.