The New England Patriots enter the 2025 offseason with the most cap space in the NFL, the financial flexibility they need to overhaul the worst roster in the league last season. With more than $100 million to spend, NFL rumors are already connecting the team to wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Higgins, age 26, demonstrated with the Cincinnati Bengals that he can be a high-end playmaker. While he operated as the No. 2 receiver opposite of Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins is still coming off a career-high of 10 touchdowns last season.
Cincinnati managed to keep him out of NFL free agency a year ago by using the franchise tag, but that’s not expected to happen again. It opens the door for the 6-foot-4 receiver to hit the open market, giving New England a shot to land its No. 1 wideout. However, one insider is casting doubt on that happening.
During an appearance on 98.3 The Sport Hub‘s Zolak & Bertrand, senior NFL reporter Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated cast doubt on the Patriots signing Higgins. Breer said that he “doesn’t see why” Higgins would sign with New England given the state of the franchise and other offers that could be on the table.
- Tee Higgins stats (ESPN): 73 receptions, 911 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns, 12.5 yards per reception
The Patriots certainly have the cap room to meet Higgins’ contract demands, with NFL rumors recently pointing to a potential cost of $30-plus million per season. However, there will be plenty of competition with teams with money to spend who can get into a bidding war with New England.
Higgins could re-sign with Cincinnati, staying in a situation he knows he can thrive in while competing with an AFC contender. The Bengals already have more than $46 million in cap space and can easily clear more with a few cap casualties and a Joe Burrow contract restructure.
Outside of Cincinnati, the Washington Commanders could provide Higgins with quarterback Jayden Daniels and use a portion of its $78 million in cap space to land him. Likewise, the Los Angeles Chargers have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and more than $60 million in cap space.
Even the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos have both the cap space, quarterback and roster to offer Higgins a chance to get paid and compete immediately. While the Patriots have the most cap space and a franchise-caliber quarterback in Drake Maye, they likely won’t be contending in 2025. If the contract offers are close, that could push Higgins to one of the more competitive teams.
