With the 2024 NFL trade deadline now less than a month away, speculation about who could get shopped will only continue to grow. Rumors and predictions surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs figure to run rampant, especially regarding the wide receiver position.
With Rashee Rice and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown set to miss the rest of the regular season, the back-to-back Super Bowl champs should explore what's available. But with limited cap space and other teams potentially not wanting to deal with the AFC's best club, options may be limited.
That isn't stopping one outlet from predicting a big-time shocker of a trade. In a bold trade deadline predictions article for The 33rd Team, Jeff Diamond has the Chiefs connecting with their conference rivals for a blockbuster of a move. Wideout Tee Higgins goes to Kansas City in this prediction.
"The Chiefs are missing starting wide receivers Rashee Rice (LCL injury) and Marquise Brown (shoulder surgery), neither of whom is expected back this season," Diamond wrote. "The team has the opportunity to be the first to win three straight Super Bowls, and they have to be thinking of adding a top receiver to pair with first-round pick Xavier Worthy for their superstar QB Patrick Mahomes. The 25-year-old Higgins is younger than some of the other candidates, such as Amari Cooper of the Browns and DeAndre Hopkins of the Titans.
"He’s a two-time thousand-yard receiver who was a key player on the successful Bengals teams that made deep playoff runs in 2021 and 2022. He has 18 catches for 182 yards and two TDs in his three games played this season. Kansas City has the draft picks to swing a deal, but there’s minimal cap room, so they would have to free up some cap space to take on Higgins’ salary this season. However, GM Brett Veach and Coach Andy Reid have managed to keep a championship team mostly intact, and they’ll find a way to add a top receiver such as Higgins."
A Tee Higgins trade would help the Chiefs, but it isn't remotely realistic
In the article, Diamond also notes that the trade scenario could stem from Cincinnati failing to dig itself out of a 1-4 hole. If the playoffs aren't in the cards, then parting ways with an expiring contract like that of Higgins suddenly makes more sense. There are a couple of issues with that prospect, though. First and foremost, it'd require the Bengals to stumble against very beatable opponents like the New York Giants (2-3), Cleveland Browns (1-4), Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) and Las Vegas Raiders (2-3). Secondly, the front office would have to actively want to deal with Veach and Kansas City. Those odds don't seem great.
There's also the element of Higgins' contract. Playing on the franchise tag, he carried a fully guaranteed $21.8 million cap hit into the season. That figure is now down to roughly $15.4M entering Week 6 and will decrease by $1.28M and change every week, yet it's still a sizable number to bring on. For reference, the Chiefs currently have just over $4M in available cap room. Barring some in-season maneuvering and/or a long-term extension, absorbing the Higgins contract for 2024 isn't realistic at all. All of this is without factoring in any draft capital required to strike a deal.
Don't get it twisted: Higgins would undoubtedly help Kansas City on offense. He's a big-bodied, dynamic receiver who can do damage in the flats, on slants, curls, "go" routes and more. He'd immediately solve issues surrounding the Chiefs' occasional struggles against zone coverage. At just 25 years old, he's also a nice fit with just about any team's timeline. The logic is certainly there.
The practicality, however, isn't.
