With the youngest offense in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers are well-positioned to pursue a seasoned veteran playmaker in the upcoming offseason.
On Wednesday, December 20, Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report said that in order to make the most of Jordan Love, the team’s developing quarterback, Green Bay “must target” Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in free agency.
Throughout his NFL career, Higgins has been Cincinnati’s No. 2 behind Ja’Marr Chase, but it doesn’t seem probable that the Bengals can afford to provide him a big contract. .. With Chase sidelined due to injury on Saturday and in the upcoming weeks, Higgins’ performance may cede his title as the best pass-catcher available to free agents.
The Packers have a handful of nice young wide receivers, but none of them have developed into a superstar yet. … A combination of Higgins, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed would be a great unit for Love to work with [and] would allow him to take the next step as an NFL quarterback.
Although Higgins has struggled with injuries in 2023, he has been quite dependable over his four years in the NFL, missing just four games in his first three seasons. Higgins has missed four games this season due to injuries, but during the Bengals’ current three-game winning streak, he has been healthy and vital. Backup quarterback Jake Browning is starting in his place.
Due to Cincinnati’s issues at quarterback and his own injuries, Higgins has had a down season based on traditional counting statistics. He has amassed 497 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 36 catches across 10 games played, per Pro Football Reference.
However, the wide receiver topped 1,000 yards receiving in each of the previous two campaigns and put up 908 yards during his rookie year. Higgins has hauled in 23 touchdowns in 56 career games heading into the team’s Week-16 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday.
Playing behind Chase has kept a lid on Higgins’ numbers, though they’ve still been impressive despite his status as a second option for essentially his entire career. Playing alongside a gamebreaking pass-catcher like Watson could unlock Higgins and help him earn the first Pro-Bowl honors of his NFL tenure next season.
