Patriots followers wallowed in distress Saturday afternoon, however these frowns might need turned the wrong way up by the night.
Hours after New England was fully embarrassed by the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium, the Bengals and the Broncos battled in among the finest video games of the NFL season to this point. The high-stakes Week 17 conflict traveled deep into additional time and ended by way of a Joe Burrow-Tee Higgins reference to a minute and alter left within the additional body.
It marked the third landing of the sport by Higgins, who led all pass-catchers with 11 receptions and 131 yards. And the supremely clutch efficiency certainly had Patriots followers dreaming concerning the future in Foxboro, Mass. Higgins is an impending free agent and would tackle a longstanding New England want with flying colours.
However Patriots followers ought to reckon with this actuality now earlier than they permit themselves to be consumed by fantasy: Higgins just isn’t going to take his skills to New England.
Why would he? Certain, the Patriots seem to have a star quarterback within the making with Drake Maye and New England may have extra cap area than every other franchise this offseason. Nevertheless it feels extremely unlikely that these promoting factors shall be sufficient for Higgins to arrange store at One Patriot Place.
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For starters, the Bengals ought to do every thing they will to ensure the star extensive receiver doesn’t go away Cincinnati. He’s been excellent since he joined the franchise in 2020 and Burrow is the very best model of himself when each Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are in his arsenal. However even when Higgins does reduce ties with the Bengals — a state of affairs he acknowledged after Saturday’s thriller — he ought to have a number of higher choices than the Patriots.
Let’s take a look at a number of the different groups inside the highest 10 of projected wage cap area, per Spotrac. The Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers all may have over $65 million to spend this offseason. If any of these groups had been considering Higgins and made an identical supply to the Patriots, the choice would really feel like a no brainer. Even with Maye behind heart, New England’s future seems very bleak.
Now, the Patriots might pivot towards optimism with a number of massive modifications within the coming months. Bringing in a brand new teaching workers and shuffling the entrance workplace doubtlessly might make New England extra interesting to gamers across the league. However because it stands, the Patriots have little or no to supply relative to their opponents.
New England undoubtedly ought to make a run at Higgins in a number of months. He arguably would be the greatest receiver obtainable available on the market. However don’t child your self, Patriots followers. A expertise of that caliber shouldn’t have any curiosity in New England as presently constructed.
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