Patriots Insider: Tee Higgins Contract Will Be FA Priority; Will 'Offer Him the Moon'

The New England Patriots are prepared to "offer the moon" to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins ahead of his free agency.

"The Patriots are going to be all in on Tee Higgins," Chad Graff of The Athletic said. "They've shown an interest in established receivers, and Higgins is the best free agent. I expect them to offer him the moon. The question is whether he says yes or no."

Despite playing in just seven games this season due to various injuries, Higgins has recorded 558 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 79.7 yards per game.

The Patriots are in desperate need of improvement in their receiving game. They rank last in the league in passing yards per game, averaging just 171.5 and are second to last in receiving touchdowns with only 13.

New England's leading receiver is tight end Hunter Henry, who has 610 yards this season. Second-string TE Austin Hooper leads the team in receiving touchdowns with three. Its leading receiver DeMario Douglas has recorded 497 yards this season with one touchdown, ranking 61st in the league in total yards.

Given the expected free-agent interest for Higgins, it would be no surprise if he left given his past with the Bengals. He requested a trade from Cincinnati before the start of the season, frustrated by the lack of discussions about a long-term contract extension, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

With all the buzz and rumors surrounding Higgins' future, Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters went straight to the source to hear it directly from him.

"He's on a mission," Walters said, according to ESPN's Ben Baby. "This is a big year for him, but he's not letting that pressure and that whatever else get to him. He seems like he's having fun. He's playing with a lot of peace."

With Higgins' future in Cincinnati uncertain, the 4-8 Bengals are on the brink of missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year, currently sitting third in the AFC North Division.