The Cincinnati Bengals have franchise tagged Tee Higgins, but that has not stopped Chad Johnson from revealing his succession plan for his replacement as he namechecked Odell Beckham Jr.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has been linked with a departure and one former player has already identified his potential replacement
The Cincinnati Bengals have been told to look for the perfect replacement for Tee Higgins as trade talks heat up. Chad Johnson, a former member of the organisation, suggested Odell Beckham Jr could be the man to fill the void.
Even though the Bengals have put a franchise tag on Tee Higgins, there’s still a lot of talk about him maybe leaving Paycor Stadium ahead of the 2024 campaign. It has been reported that the 25-year-old has already requested a trade – but the Bengals seem resolute in their desire to keep him for now.
However, there are whispers that he might still leave Cincinnati, with suitors such as the New England Patriots purportedly showing interest in him regardless. Jeremy Fowler from ESPN said on SportsCenter that the Patriots might even give up a Day Two pick in the next NFL Draft in order to secure Higgins’ services.
With all this uncertainty about Higgins’ future, some observers are already mooting who could take his place if he goes. One of those engaging in this debate is “Ochocinco” Johnson, who is well placed to give his perspective, having represented both Cincinnati and New England before hanging up his cleats.
He believes the Bengals should think about getting Beckham Jr to replace Higgins. The three-time First Team All Pro appears convinced in his conviction about the one-time Super Bowl winner who last played for the Baltimore Ravens, tallying up 35 catches for 565 yards and scoring three touchdowns in 14 games in 2023.
“Hey Odell, Odell Beckham, come on down to Cincinnati,” Johnson said on “The Nightcap Show”. “Let me know what you think about that. Catching balls from Joe Burrow,” he added, later telling the free agent to contact him directly as he told Beckham Jr: “You will love it. Text my phone.”
Even though Johnson is looking ahead, the official word from Cincinnati is they don’t want to lose Higgins – despite the rumours circulating. The Bengals’ Duke Tobin has said: “It’s really simple: He’s a good player, we want to keep him, and we have resources to do that, so we decided early to do it.”
Odell Beckham Jr. appears to have some favor in Cincinnati as one former Bengals ace gave him his seal of approva
Odell Beckham Jr. appears to have some favor in Cincinnati as one former Bengals ace gave him his seal of approval ( Image: Getty)
“And that’s where we are. We like Tee. We’re a better team with Tee, he explained, as he talked over the decision to franchise tag the player. ” he shared, explaining why they chose to franchise tag Higgins. “With the way we managed our cap, we had the ability to put the franchise tag on him, and we did.”