Tee Higgins (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

With the Cincinnati Bengals unlikely to retain superstar wide receiver Tee Higgins beyond this year, the wise decision would be to trade him in the coming weeks rather than watch him leave for nothing in 2024 free agency.

Tee Higgins initially requested a trade from the Bengals, but he walked back on it and agreed to play 2024 under the franchise tag. But if owner Mike Brown wants to set his team up nicely both short-term and long-term, he should explore trading Higgins for another player who could help Joe Burrow out immediately.

It’s rare to see a superstar-for-superstar swap in today’s NFL, but there is one potential trade partner that makes perfect sense here for Cincinnati: The reigning NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Like the Bengals with Tee Higgins, Tampa’s No. 2 wide receiver, Chris Godwin, is a pending free agent. The Super Bowl 55 champion has one year remaining on the three-year, $60 million pact he signed in 2022.

Having committed so much money to Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Tristan Wirfs this offseason, Buccaneers GM Jason Licht might be reluctant to pay Godwin (29 next year) top dollar

Considering their respective contract situations and ages, along with both teams’ win-now approaches, a one-for-one trade swap between Higgins and Godwin makes perfect sense here.

Why Tee Higgins For Chris Godwin Would Work

Godwin has been more productive than Higgins since the latter’s 2020 rookie year, but the former is also three years older. So if you’re the Bengals, why not roll the dice on a more productive receiver in Godwin and see if he’ll sign an extension as opposed to losing Higgins for nothing?

And if you’re the Bucs, you can take that money you would’ve paid Godwin for a younger receiver in Higgins. The aforementioned Mike Evans is 31 and will slow down sooner rather than later, so extending Higgins would ensure that Tampa has a WR1 to build the offense around long-term.