Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had a feeling — or perhaps some inside information — that Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins was ready to demand a trade.
Higgins requested a trade out of Cincinnati after recently being franchise-tagged by the team on February 23.
“I knew it!” Watson said on his “QB Unplugged” show on Friday, March 15 with a big smile.
Watson and Higgins share the same agent, David Mulugheta. Watson seemed to have received the scoop from Mulugheta that Higgins would want out if he was hit with the franchise tag.
“I knew it was coming. I didn’t come out and say that, but I knew that if they franchise tagged him, he wasn’t going to stay there,” Watson said. “Me and David have a great relationship. We talk about a bunch of different things.”
Watson publicly recruited Higgins on his show in January before he was hit with the franchise tag.
“You know what’s up with us man. I know you are down to roll. We want to pass the ball and are going to pass it a lot,” Watson said. “We are going to take care of you. The Cleveland fans will love you to death and we have the Clemson ties. We didn’t get to play with each other but this is our opportunity. Come on over to The Land.”
Browns Still Unlikely to Land Tee Higgins
The franchise tag for Higgins will be worth $21.816 million next season. But the former Clemson standout is looking for some long-term security. Higgins has put together a nice resume with the Bengals. He has caught 257 passes for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons, going over 1,000 yards in two seasons.
Watson would welcome a weapon like Higgins in his arsenal of pass-catchers but a move seems highly unlikely. The Browns recently traded for Denver Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy. There’s also skepticism that Higgins will be able to force his way out of Cincy.
“Now you start to think about if you’re Tee Higgins, ‘what’s my future here?’” Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz said on FS1’s Speak on March 11. “We know we have to pay Ja’Marr Chase. We’ve already paid Joe Burrow, ‘Where do I fit in?’ And that’s where that trade request came from. And I think the tag is fine. I would anticipate that he plays on the tag. I don’t think he’s going to be traded.
“It’s my understanding that it would take about a two (second-round pick) maybe a three to get him. So let’s say you’re Carolina or Tennessee, those are the two best fits for me.”
Deshaun Watson Feels Browns Have Super Bowl Potential
The Browns didn’t make a major splash in free agency. However, the team did bring back some key pieces like Za’Darius Smith and also traded for Jeudy. Watson is feeling good about those moves as he prepares to return to the field.
“We got the pieces. We just have to put it all together. Once we all get healthy and get the opportunity on the field at the same time for a full season, hell yeah we have a chance to [win the Super Bowl]. We got the defense, the offense, the special teams, the culture, the fanbase. We just got to go do it now.”
Watson will be be ready for training camp after having season-ending surgery on his shoulder in November. He’s passed for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions as a member of the Browns. Watson appeared in just 12 games since being brought over in a 2022 blockbuster trade.
