Despite Matt LaFleur’s downplaying, it is no secret that the Green Bay Packers would like to add a receiver, a WR-1 if possible, this offseason. Among free agent pass catchers, the Bengals’ Tee Higgins is everyone’s darling, but according to one Packers expert he is an unlikely target for GM Brian Gutekunst.
Writes award-winning Lombardi Ave journalist Freddie Boston, “Higgins is a great player and would immediately become the Packers’ best receiver. But for $30 million per year? Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”
Boston notes that this number, per the below quotes from ESPN’s Jeremey Fowler, is Higgins’ projected price tag:
‘The lowest estimate I heard was somewhere slightly above DeVonta Smith’s three-year, $75 million deal,” writes Fowler. The rest saw him breaking into the $30 million range, based on his status as a No. 1-caliber receiver and the number of teams desperate for pass-catching help.’
The Packers do not fit the desperate label, but certainly #5 would look nice in green and gold. Based on the team’s past free agency budgets, however, that fantasy may be all but dead.
Green Bay Packers Have Frugal Free Agency Record When It Comes to WRs Like Tee Higgins
“The Packers don’t typically spend big money on wide receivers unless it’s to re-sign their own players,” observes Boston, who has covered Green Bay at Lombardi Ave for nearly a decade.
As desirable a free agent as he is, does Higgins even warrant a $30M paycheck? If he doesn’t the Packers might be better off looking at cheaper options anyway, like Amari Cooper or DeAndre Hopkins.
Boston gives some insightful context on whether Higgins merits a place among the game’s highest-paid targets. “For perspective,” he says, “six NFL wide receivers are averaging $30 million or more per year: Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Brandon Aiyuk, and Tyreek Hill.”
He also provides a handy chart comparing the players’ achievements.
Player 1,000-yard seasons Pro Bowls Justin Jefferson 5 4 CeeDee Lamb 4 4 A.J. Brown 5 3 Amon-Ra St. Brown 3 3 Brandon Aiyuk 2 0 Tyreek Hill 6 8 Tee Higgins 2 0
Does Higgins belong? Last season, he caught 73 passes for 911 yards in 12 games played, while competing with Ja’Marr Chase for targets. Of the receivers on the chart, Jefferson and both Browns clearly had better years than he did, and Hill and Aiyuk have more impressive track records. Despite a down year, Hill in particular seems poised for a rebound nearer his 1700+ yard-campaigns in 2023 and ’22.
The same might not be said for Aiyuk, though, who was hampered by injuries and is generally recognized as overpaid. It is also interesting to note that Higgins averaged more yards per game than either Aiyuk or Hill. As a WR1 on Chase-less roster, what heights might he reach in 2025?
While this does not mean the Packers should empty the purse to get him, his value is nearer an elite-level salary than his track record suggests.
Expensive Higgins Signing Would Not Solve Packers’ Other Problems
Another question: Do the Packers really need him? Yes, the team aches for the top receiving threat that none of Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden reed have been. Lesser options exist on the market, including Chris Godwin, whose base salary was $20 million with Tampa Bay last season.
Given that the Packers have plenty of needs elsewhere, such as the defensive line and at corner, Gutekunst could use available funds to address those areas while fortifying the receiving corps with a reliable veteran whose price tag is much lower.
In line with Boston’s projections, @NFL Rumors predicts a Higgins contract at 4 years for $120M. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has also said that the Bengals can’t expect to re-sign him and keep Chase when his deal is up after next season. According to that assessment, Higgins seems destined to end up elsewhere.
Just not, unfortunately, with the Packers.
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on X at @ezsniper14 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
Mayfield Sports Marketing
Call Mayfield Sports Marketing at 262-366-8188 to schedule Green Bay Packers players or alumni for your corporate appearance or product promotion. Our booking agents will work on your behalf to get you the best price for your desired sports speaker. Mayfield Sports Marketing has earned a reputation of being the one to call for booking top athletes to speak at events and trade shows. To learn more about Packers players or alumni appearance cost and booking fee, please call us today. www.MayfieldSports.com.
