The Green Bay Packers are approaching free agency in 2025 with no priority free agents, plenty of salary cap space and a need to add veteran talent to a young, cheap and ascending roster.
One year after signing safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs in free agency, general manager Brian Gutekunst is in a position to make another splash in 2025.
Until free agency, Packers Wire will run through potential options, starting today with receiver Tee Higgins, in an attempt to identify the pros and cons of each potential target for Gutekunst.
Higgins, a 2020 draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals, figures to be one of the most coveted free agents of the cycle.
Let’s dig into the pros and cons of the Packers going after Higgins:
Pros
— Higgins is a big receiver (6-4) with legitimate difference-making ability. He has averaged at least 8.0 yards per target in all five of his NFL seasons and has a career average of 9.0 yards per target — an excellent number. By yards per route run, Higgins has an average of 1.92 yards — another excellent mark. He makes the most of his opportunities.
— Higgins is only 26 years old. He fits the Packers’ recent model of signing young, ascending players coming off their rookie contracts.
— The Packers might need at No. 1 receiver. Higgins could qualify. In fact, this could be a similar addition to the Eagles trading for A.J. Brown in 2022.
— Higgins caught 10 touchdown passes in 2024, including seven in the red zone. Despite often playing Robin to Ja’Marr Chase’s Batman, Higgins has 34 career touchdown catches in only 70 games.
— Higgins can play outside or in the slot, giving him the multi-position versatility the Packers require of receivers. Higgins has played roughly 20 percent of his snaps from the slot.
— Higgins is a dependable catcher of the football. He’s dropped only 6.5 percent of targets in his career, including only two total drops in 2024.
— At 6-4, Higgins is an excellent contested catch winner, and his incredible catch radius would give Jordan Love a receiver who can make him right when throws aren’t perfect.
— Higgins is terrific in the short to intermediate ranges. It’s easy to envision him running all the routes required of an X receiver in Matt LaFleur’s offense.
— The Packers are going to spread the ball around on offense, and that fits Higgins, who has never received more than 110 targets in a season. He’s proven he can be a valuable and effective pass-catcher without super high volume.
Cons
— He’s going to be expensive, no doubt about it. Last year, Calvin Ridley signed a four-year, $92 million deal with the Tennessee Titans, and Ridley wasn’t on Higgins’ level as a free agent. A deal worth at least $25 million or more per season — and likely approaching or beating $30 million — might be required. Competition will be fierce.
— It’s still possible he won’t be available at all. The franchise tag remains in play.
— Playing opposite Ja’Marr Chase has likely made his life much easier as a receiver. There is always the Allen Lazard risk — that playing with a superstar No. 1 elevated his efficiency to unsustainable levels.
— The Packers like drafting and developing wide receivers, and their track record of finding quality receivers on Day 2 of the draft and developing them into good players is impressive. Does Gutekunst want to give a top-of-the-market deal to a wide receiver?
— Higgins has missed time to injury — including five games in 2024 and five more in 2023. Soft-tissue injuries are a legitimate concern — there’s a history of hamstring issues.
— Higgins doesn’t have elite speed and might not be the kind of field-stretching receiver the Packers need. But this would be a preference or style con. The Packers can absolutely fit Higgins into the passing game as currently constructed.
— The Packers have big financial decisions to make on their own receivers after 2025. Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson are free agents, and Jayden Reed might position himself for a big, new deal. Lots of puzzle pieces to consider at receiver this offseason.