Tee Higgins' trade request will have a major ripple effect on the entire Cincinnati Bengals franchise, but it could have an especially large impact on veteran wide receiver Tyler Boyd.
After spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Bengals, Boyd is headed for free agency this offseason, and the common line of thought over the past few weeks is that he would likely ink elsewhere, as the money or opportunity probably wouldn't be in Cincinnati. However, Higgins' request could change that.
A Higgins trade could ultimately mean more money and more opportunity open for others at the wide receiver position. If Higgins won't be around, perhaps the Bengals will be more motivated to bring Boyd back than they would have been otherwise. After all, he's already very familiar with everything in Cincinnati -- the coach, quarterback, scheme and city.
Re-signing Boyd could be an easy answer for Cincinnati
Boyd has been spending a lot of time in the slot over the past few seasons, but he also has experience as a top two receiver, as that's the role he occupied in Cincinnati prior to the additions of Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase.
Chase is the team's clear top option, but Boyd could potentially fill the second spot alongside Chase. In this scenario, the Bengals could then look to free agency or the draft to add a slot receiver.
Plus, keeping Boyd in black-and-orange might not be super expensive, as he was recently listed a player who could potentially be underpriced in free agency. Now, he won't even be Cincinnati's most in-demand available receiver.
The New York Jets were recently listed as a potential landing spot for Boyd, and he'll likely have several other suitors. However, after spending nearly a decade with the Bengals to this point, he might want to continue his career in Cincinnati if that option is available, and Higgins' trade request seems to make that potential outcome a little more likely.