Report: Tee Higgins Trade Calls Were Not 'Entertained' by Bengals at NFL Deadline

The Cincinnati Bengals reportedly rebuffed inquiries into wide receiver Tee Higgins' availability ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, the Bengals "did not entertain" trade calls focused on Higgins, which was also the case during the offseason.

Higgins is set to become a free agent during the offseason, meaning the Bengals could potentially lose him unless they agree to a long-term contract or place the franchise tag on the talented wideout.

Cincinnati originally selected Higgins with the No. 33 overall pick in the second round of the 2020 draft, which is the same draft that saw them take quarterback Joe Burrow first overall.

Higgins was a favorite target of Burrow's right out of the gate, and he remained a high-volume producer even after the Bengals took Burrow's LSU teammate in wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase fifth overall in the 2021 NFL draft.

The 24-year-old Higgins was as consistent as can be over his first three NFL seasons, recording 67 receptions for 908 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, 74 receptions for 1,091 yards and six touchdowns in his second season, and 74 receptions for 1,029 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

Higgins was clearly behind Chase in the wide receiver pecking order in both 2021 and 2022, but there were plenty of targets to go around for each of them as they both topped 1,000 yards in back-to-back years.

While Chase is on track for another huge statistical season with 60 catches for 656 yards and four touchdowns, Higgins has largely struggled, especially when compared to his usual production.

Higgins missed the Bengals' Week 5 game due to injury and was limited to about 50 percent of the snaps in Weeks 4 and 6 since he wasn't fully healthy, but even when he has played a full allotment of snaps, his numbers have dropped off significantly.

In six games, Higgins has reeled in just 19 receptions for 218 yards and two touchdowns, and he is catching a mere 45.2 percent of his targets.

Higgins went off for eight catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2, but aside from that, he has not scored a touchdown in any other game, nor has he topped five receptions or 69 yards.

Despite his contract status and slow start to the season, Higgins is an elite talent, and trading him away wouldn't have done any good for a Bengals team that is looking to contend for a Super Bowl.

Since a 1-3 start, the Bengals have won three in a row, and they put forth their best performance of the season in Week 8, beating the San Francisco 49ers 31-17 on the road.

Burrow seems fully healed from a calf injury that hampered him early in the season, and that could play a role in Higgins possibly turning things around over the second half of the season.