Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins will be one of most coveted free agents of the upcoming offseason. His pending decision on where to sign will not only have ripple effects on his 2025 free agency classmates, but the NFL draft as well.

While the Bengals would prefer to keep their homegrown talent, money talks. Higgins could eventually be swayed by a massive offer from one of the many receiver-needy teams in the market for his services. A slew of squads, including high-profile organizations such as the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, would benefit immensely from adding Higgins to their rosters and should have the cap space to sign him.

While a market-value deal won't be cheap—Spotrac estimates Higgins' value to be in the $19 million per year range and it could eclipse that mark by a good margin in a potential bidding war—Higgins has proven he's one of the league's very best complementary wideouts and has the potential to work in a No. 1 role as well. He's already racked up 302 receptions for 4,265 yards and 29 touchdowns over his first 66 career games despite playing in the shadow of Ja'Marr Chase in four of his first five seasons.

With that in mind, let's look at how Higgins will shape this offseason. This includes what his return—or exit—would mean for Cincinnati, his top potential suitors and the impact his signing will have on both the free-agent market and draft.

Returning to Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Bengals may not have been able to work out a contract extension with Higgins last year, but they certainly want to get a long-term deal in place with the rising star before he reaches the open market for the first time.

It's unlikely the team will choose to utilize the franchise tag again—Higgins is already earning nearly $22 million this season and his salary is guaranteed to increase by at least 120 percent if tagged in consecutive years—and now must find a financially palatable manner to retain the wideout for the long haul.

Per ESPN's Ben Baby, Joe Burrow recently acknowledged recent contract talks between his organization and Higgins. The Bengals quarterback not only believes that Higgins will stay in Cincinnati, but also that he's going to do everything in his power to ensure the battery remains in place for the foreseeable future:

"Those discussions are ongoing. I'm confident that I think we're going to do what it takes to bring Tee back. I know that I'm going to do what it takes to get him back and so is he. We've had those talks. Those are going to be offseason discussions. But I think we're excited about that opportunity"

The Bengals will have to get creative to fit a market-value deal for Higgins under a cap that is already stressed by Burrow's blockbuster extension worth $55 million annually. The team also needs to keep space available for Ja'Marr Chase's inevitable contract, one that could exceed the record $35 million per year that Justin Jefferson signed this past offseason.

Assuming Cincy's brass finds a way to get a Higgins extension done while retaining some financial flexibility, this offense will be set for years to come. The Bengals have built one of the league's best passing offenses from the ground up with the triumvirate of Burrow, Chase and Higgins as foundational pieces and can feel secure that they'll remain as such into the 2030s with all three locked up on long extensions.

While the team currently has long odds of making the playoffs given its 5-8 record, this trio can't be blamed for the failures. Cincinnati leads the NFL in both passing yardage and touchdowns through the air while ranking No. 6 in scoring, well ahead of a defense that rates No. 29 in points allowed.

Although the Bengals might have to skimp on some much-needed defensive upgrades in free agency to keep Higgins, the team will be free to utilize early draft picks to fill glaring holes on that side of the ball while signing inexpensive veterans to round out the roster.

Signing Elsewhere

Despite their struggles this season, the Bengals never seemed to give much credence to moving on from Higgins early. Although trade rumors have swirled around the receiver since Cincinnati failed to lock him up on a long-term deal this past offseason and he publicly requested to be dealt, the team has stood the line.

According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, the Bengals wouldn't entertain the idea of dealing Higgins at the trade deadline even after falling largely out of contention by that point in the campaign. While that commitment could pay off if Cincinnati eventually manages to hammer out an extension, it could be a costly misstep should he opt to take his talents elsewhere in 2025.

If Cincinnati won't—or can't—match a strong offer from a competing club, it will need to move fast to secure a replacement.

The Bengals currently have little in the way of a contingency plan for a Higgins exit. No. 3 wideout Andre Iosivas has a meager 27 receptions for 350 yards on the season and no other Bengals receiver has more than four catches or 107 yards in 2024.

While Iosivas could make a significant leap in 2025—which will be a pivotal third NFL season for the sixth-rounder—it's more likely Cincinnati will choose to use either the draft or open market to help offset the critical loss of Higgins.

The Bengals are projected to pick at No. 11 in the 2025 draft, a slot where someone like Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan or Missouri's Luther Burden III—both top-10 prospects on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's initial big board—could be available. However, drafting a receiver this early takes Cincinnati out of the running for a game-changing defensive player such as Walt Nolen—the Mississippi defensive lineman who the B/R Scouting Department has landing with the Bengals in their latest mock draft.

Veterans like Chris Godwin, Amari Cooper and Stefon Diggs are projected to hit free agency as well, although these experienced players won't come cheap. Clogging up valuable cap space with a pricy deal for an older talent with far less upside than Higgins certainly isn't ideal, but it may be best option for Cincinnati if the homegrown star moves on next year.

Free Agency and Draft Ripple Effects

Higgins' free agency decision will rock the NFL and cause ripple effects that impacts the numerous franchises hoping to land a player who Pro Football Focus has ranked as the No. 1 overall impending free agent. His signing will also greatly effect the 2025 draft as several potential suitors would be in contention to select a receiver early if they miss out on Higgins.

Let's highlight some teams that should be gearing up to make a run at Higgins, point out why they need the wideout and what their options are if he declines to join them:

New England Patriots

Ever since securing Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick this past year, the Patriots have been a front-runner to land a star receiver to pair with their young quarterback prospect. This team simply cannot afford to squander Maye's development with a mediocre supporting cast, an issue that plagued former Patriots signal-caller Mac Jones during his brief tenure in Foxboro.

While the Pats had a long history of misses at the wide receiver position in both the draft and free agency under former coach Bill Belichick, the Jerod Mayo era could quickly see a reversal of these fortunes if the club manages to land Higgins. Doing so appears to be New England's main goal this upcoming offseason.

According to Chad Graff of The Athletic, the Patriots are projected to make a hard run at Higgins. Graff noted that New England plans to be "all in" and is expected to "offer him the moon" when free agency opens.

If the Pats can't get a commitment from Higgins, expect them to utilize a Day 1 or 2 pick on the position or make an offer to Chris Godwin, a player a few years older than Higgins but with an established history of producing at a high level when healthy.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers seem to be turning a corner after a brutal start to the Bryce Young era. The team has won notched victories in two of its last five games and hung tough in all three losses, games Carolina could have outright won if it had more receiving weapons to augment the No. 1 overall pick in 2023.

While Young has made do with an aging Adam Thielen and journeyman David Moore complementing impressive rookies Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, it's clear that an established but still-just-entering-his-prime player like Higgins would take this offense to the next level.

Considering there was already talk that the Panthers considered offering up a pair of second-round picks during the 2024 draft for Higgins, it would make perfect sense for the cash-flush organization to come at the wideout with a strong offer when he hits the open market.

Carolina will still be well-positioned to land a standout WR prospect if it fails to recruit Higgins. The team is currently set to pick No. 4 overall, although there's a real chance the Panthers finish with the league's worst record for the third consecutive year. The silver lining of such an outcome is that blue-chip prospect Travis Hunter would be an option for them at the top of the 2025 draft.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have been heavily linked to veteran receivers in trade rumors this season. While Pittsburgh ultimately had to settle for a deadline-day move to acquire Mike Williams after various attempts to acquire Brandon Aiyuk, Davante Adams and Christian Kirk all fell through, the team still projects to be a major player in the free-agent market this offseason.

Williams hasn't had a major impact for the Steelers, catching just four balls for 68 yards in the five games he's appeared with the squad since being dealt. With his contract set to expire after the campaign, Pittsburgh will likely let Williams walk and take another swing at a star like Higgins.

Higgins could be the player this Steelers passing attack has sorely needed in recent years. The team ranks a meager 23rd in passing right now and hasn't finished better than No. 15 in that category since the 2018 campaign. While there's upside with George Pickens out wide and Russell Wilson under center, No. 2 wideout Calvin Austin III has just 42 catches for 387 yards in 13 contests this season—a far cry from the 581 yards on 45 catches Higgins has put up in five fewer appearances.

If a Higgins signing doesn't pan out for Pittsburgh, the playoff-bound franchise likely won't have a chance to secure one of the premier receiver prospects in the upcoming draft. With the Steelers currently projected to pick No. 27 overall, the veteran-laden roster would benefit more from signing a more established option such as Stefon Diggs or DeAndre Hopkins to help get over the hump next season.