Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins is the best receiver who could hit the free agent market this offseason, and he just might be the best overall player. While we haven’t seen the Pittsburgh Steelers be too aggressive when going after the top names in free agency, the team did sign LB Patrick Queen to the richest free-agent contract in team history last March, and with a hole at receiver, Higgins would be a natural fit in Pittsburgh. The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher named the Steelers as one of three potential suitors for Higgins, along with the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers.
Mosher also predicted Higgins would get a three-year, $100 million contract, an APY slightly above $33 million. We know that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is a fan of Tee Higgins, praising him after the first 2024 matchup between the Steelers and Bengals when the Steelers had CB Joey Porter Jr. shadow Higgins instead of Ja’Marr Chase.
“Tee is a goon. He is. You can’t let him beat you up while at the same time the officials are going to call it the way they call it. Sometimes, I kind of absorb some of that, that comes with that. You cannot let a big dude like that beat you up. You gotta match the fire with the fire. You hope you do it clean enough that it doesn’t draw a bunch of penalties. We weren’t as successful in that regard today. We’ll keep working, but one thing we’re not gonna do is let that guy goon us,” Tomlin said at the time.
Higgins was the No. 2 to Chase in Cincinnati, but he put up No. 1 production at times, and he’s coming off a season where he had 73 receptions for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 12 games. For his career, Higgins has 330 receptions for 4,595 yards and 34 touchdowns in 70 games across four seasons. He would be another big-bodied receiver on the outside, and if the Steelers signed him, it would instantly give them one of the best receiver duos in the league with Higgins and George Pickens.
Ultimately, for the Steelers to sign Higgins, they would likely need to give him the highest APY on the team, which would break organizational precedent. But it’s something that would be worth doing to bring in a receiver as talented as Higgins, although the Steelers breaking the bank to bring him in doesn’t feel particularly likely. Still, it’s fun to dream about, as Higgins would more than fill the hole that Pittsburgh has at receiver. Signing him would push wide receiver down the team’s list of needs in the 2025 NFL Draft, allowing it to bolster other positions early in the draft.
It would be nice to steal a top player from a division rival, similar to signing Queen away from the Ravens last offseason. While I’d classify it as highly unlikely, Higgins would certainly look good in Black and Gold, and it would show that this team is truly committed to becoming contenders if it did pursue Higgins if he hits the market.
