The Cincinnati Bengals made some serious decisions this past offseason, opting to extend wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins while low-balling stud pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
Chase and Higgins are a formidable duo. Unfortunately, the latter has had multiple concussions of late. Hendrickson got a raise, but suffered a season-ending injury to set the Bengals' maligned defense back even more.
What if the Bengals had only focused on extending Chase, rather than sinking so many resources into two receivers? And what if they actually traded Hendrickson once he was a training camp hold-in?
A certain publication explored these alternate universe possibilities — I can seldom resist those — to mixed/interesting results. Could it be a sign of what's to come in Cincinnati? Maybe!
Bengals' Trey Hendrickson & Tee Higgins make cut for top players, different teams list
Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox created a list of nine players who he'd have loved to see play for different teams in 2025. Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and stud wideout Tee Higgins made the cut.
Hendrickson's elseworlds destination was the Dallas Cowboys, while Higgins' preferred landing spot was the Buffalo Bills.
Can't say I'm on the same page when it comes to the Hendrickson proposal.
The Cowboys traded key assets from their Micah Parsons blockbuster in exchange for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. They also landed ex-Bengals captain Logan Wilson at the trade deadline. Unclear what it would've taken to get Hendrickson, but probably at least a second-round pick, if not a first. Here's the key part of Knox's write-up:
"A change of scenery might have allowed him to play for a relevant team instead of the defensively deficient Bengals. We'd have loved to see him replace Micah Parsons as the Cowboys' top pass-rusher. Dallas was officially eliminated in Week 16, but it's not hard to imagine the Cowboys picking up one or two more wins this season with an improved pass rush."
Surebutwhatabout Donovan Ezeiruaku? The rookie second-rounder is among the best picks of the entire 2025 draft. Certainly better than Shemar Stewart, who Cincinnati drafted 17th overall.
I don't know. The Bengals are playing better defense down the stretch even without Hendrickson. His presence right now could be a game-changer if he were healthy. And oh by the way, Joe Burrow was hurt for most of the 2025 campaign. So this hypothetical feels broken.
Anyway, on to Higgins. Buffalo sure could use him. Josh Allen would love to launch downfield throws Higgins' way, and rely on him as a sure-handed possession target in the quick game.
Now that Andrei Iosivas has had such a disappointing third season, and Jermaine Burton got waived, I can't imagine how bad the Bengals' receiving corps would look without our guy Tee.
Read More: Bengals mock draft punts on $180 million investment to anger Joe Burrow
How Trey Hendrickson, Tee Higgins multiverse proposals could foretell Bengals' roster-building approach
Would the Bengals have been better off without Hendrickson and/or Higgins? Hard to say. The butterfly effect is unfathomable and incalculable re: all the variables.
What I can say is, whether Cincinnati decided to move off either of them or not in any scenario, how 2025 actually played out could very well foreshadow some juicy plot twists this offseason.
Hendrickson is all but out the door. Wouldn't be surprised at all to see him get healthy, sign with a new team, and ball out for them in 2026. In that context, trading him, especially when he was so rightfully disgruntled, seems like a no-brainer move in retrospect. It feels inevitable that Hendrickson will dominate next season whilst not wearing a Bengals uniform. So be it. Let it be.
As for Higgins, though, circling back to his concussion situation for a minute. It's clear that the wide receiver room has gone from a strength to a high-key need in Cincinnati. The injury-prone Higgins' tenuous future suggests a major investment must be made, despite how much money the Bengals sunk into Chase and Higgins with those new contracts.
I'm just telling you right now. Get your bodies ready for someone like Ohio State's Carnell Tate, Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson, or USC's Makai Lemon when the Bengals go on the clock in the first round. I know the defense needs serious work, but playing rookies on that side of the ball is not working. The focus for major upgrades to that unit should be on internal player development and free agency.
Imagine a receiving corps of Chase, Higgins, and another top-10 pick for Burrow to throw to, not to mention tight end Mike Gesicki, who can flex out to the slot whenever.
Taking out a Higgins insurance policy that doubles as adding another potentially elite playmaker could make Cincinnati's offense almost unstoppable. This is the type of high-value, 4D chess move Duke Tobin never makes. We have months to speculate what'll actually happen.