Bengals WR sounds off on 'big headache' trade request, relief of signing new contract

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has consistently dominated on the college and NFL gridiron since his pivotal role on Clemson's 2018 national championship team. Nevertheless, he's dealt with his fair share of adversity and doubters along the way, including from within the Bengals organization.

You could argue that last sentence with me till you're blue in the face. Fact of the matter is, Cincinnati had the chance to offer Higgins a sensible contract extension for two full years, only to deny him of that deserved payday at every turn.

At long last, the Bengals made their splash this offseason by extending Higgins and their No. 1 wideout Ja'Marr Chase in one fell swoop. Ideally it would've come sooner, but difficult contract negotiations, a trade request, and two franchise tags later, it got done in the end.

With that saga behind him and his future now secure, Higgins is feeling refreshed heading into the 2025 campaign. He offered some insight into his mindset in a recent interview with ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler.

Bengals star Tee Higgins in "good space mentally" after years of uncertainty

In sharing his thoughts on a rather turbulent off-field tenure with the Bengals, Higgins conceded that it was a "big headache" being franchise tagged twice and serving as a constant source of trade speculation.

Sounds like it's all water under the bridge, though, as Higgins seems determined to move forward and embrace what should be the prime of his NFL career.

"Honestly, I'm in a good space mentally now…Not having to think about it. Just training my mind, free mind, not having to know where you're going to be. […] You put in the trade request, but you really don't want to go nowhere…It's like, 'Are they really going to trade me?' And if they trade me, then I have to shift my whole mindset. […] I wanted to be here, but if I was to get traded, I would have made that shift then."

Some of the reservations on Cincinnati's end to extend him might've had to do with a not-insignificant injury history, which has caused Higgins to miss five games in each of the past two seasons. If the 26-year-old vet can stay healthy, there's no telling how high this Joe Burrow-led passing attack can go.

Echoing some of the sentiments new defensive coordinator Al Golden had about the added versatility on his side of the ball, Higgins also told Fowler how he's embracing a more diverse role in the Bengals' receiving corps. The coaching staff is aligning Higgins in the slot more often, allowing him to use his big body and catch radius to exploit matchups with smaller defensive backs.

There's certainly something to that philosophy. Tight end Mike Gesicki aligned in the slot on 336 snaps last season, per Pro Football Focus. The more Cincinnati can move around its plethora of weapons, the more multiple their formations can be to draw favorable matchups against opposing defenses. Higgins is aiming very high productivity-wise in the new year, too: