Chargers fans think Derwin James was trying to recruit Tee Higgins to Los Angeles

While Cincinnati Bengals fans are still recovering from another devastating loss, Los Angeles Chargers fans are hoping to steal away one of their best players this offseason. Following the Bengals' 34-27 loss to the Chargers on Sunday Night Football, Tee Higgins and Chargers safety Derwin James did a jersey swap.

That seems simple enough but Chargers fans think there might be an ulterior motive there from James. One user on X posted a picture of Higgins and James with each other's newly-signed jerseys and said, "I see what you're doing Derwin", implying that James is trying to recruit Higgins to Los Angeles this offseason.

Bengals fans have been preparing for Higgins to leave during the offseason but it's still not fun picturing him with another team, especially one that just beat them and pretty much ended their season. It's hard to argue that the Chargers wouldn't be a good fit for Higgins, however. They're an up-and-coming team with a good head coach and a good quarterback.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins might be getting recruited by the Chargers

Higgins was a second-round pick by the Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft and went on to post 1,000+ yard seasons in two of his first three years in the league (and he came awfully close to doing so as a rookie as well, finishing with 908 yards in 2020). While Bengals fans would love to see him continue his career in Cincinnati, the unfortunate reality is that the team already paid Joe Burrow and needs to pay Ja'Marr Chase. Paying a second wide receiver a huge sum of money isn't the best business decision.

So, that leaves Higgins on the outside looking in when it comes to the Bengals' future plans. The Bengals slapped the franchise tag on Higgins this year but likely won't do so again next year, which would allow him to become a free agent for the first time in his career. Higgins will undoubtedly be a popular candidate in free agency due to the production he's had throughout his Bengals tenure but injuries could scare some teams off.

If the Chargers do end up pursuing Higgins, it wouldn't be a bad fit. They need help at the wide receiver position and Higgins is going to be arguably the best name available at wideout this offseason. He'd also be going to be a team that looks to be trending upwards, which can't be said for the Bengals, unfortunately.

Bengals fans will have to get used to seeing Higgins talk to other teams in the future but it doesn't make the thought any less painful.