The New England Patriots are at a crossroads. After going 4-13 last year, they have the third overall pick, a young quarterback in Drake Maye, and most importantly, a new head coach in Mike Vrabel. Vrabel’s direct style and liking for hard-hitting, solid guys have raised eyebrows about where the team might be headed. And then there’s Tee Higgins, the Cincinnati Bengals’ top wideout, whose talent and potential to leave are giving Patriots chasers fits. But is he Vrabel’s guy? Let’s break it down.

Tee Higgins is a numbers guy. He had 73 receptions for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games in 2024. Commentators such as ESPN’s Benjamin Solak project that if you were to extrapolate his performance throughout a full season, Higgins would be among the best in the league, and he’d go for 1,290 yards and 14 scores. But there were some downs in Higgins’ 2024 season, too — hamstring injury, back injury, and ankle injury in Week 16 against the Browns. And these durability worries are exactly what could make Vrabel skeptical. “Tee Higgins kind of worries me…” as Taylor Kyles chimed in, “a history of soft tissue injuries. That’s something Vrabel has very little tolerance for.”

Mike Vrabel doesn’t want the Patriots to be a big headline-making operation; he wants them to be a hard-nosed, steady team. “Every player has to earn their position daily,” he said during his pre-draft press conference. For all the talent and athleticism of Higgins, Vrabel may be looking for predictable guys, such as Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, a receiver with five consistent seasons with the Titans, or defensive tackle Tedarrell Slaton, who played in all 17 games for Green Bay last year. “Are they going to pay $30 million for a guy who won’t be available all the time?” Kyle’s thoughts as opposed to Higgins.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine — just off a season with 497 receiving yards and nine touchdowns — is a menace. Slaton, a defensive tackle with 30 tackles and 1.0 sacks in 2024, can be rotated through, which is how Vrabel coaches. These unsigned acquisitions may be additions to Vrabel’s roster, adding depth and insurance against marquee acquisitions.

The Patriots’ problem with the WR

The 2024 Patriots offense was out of a job. They topped out at 31st in points per game (17.0) and sat last in passing yards per game (178.5). The team was led by tight end Hunter Henry with just 674 receiving yards, which shows there’s no real WR1. First-round pick Jalynn Polk flashed but was inconsistent, and a two-time second-round selection Tyquan Thornton was waived in midseason. With cap space left over and a rookie QB in need of weapons, the Patriots are in limbo. “We need a guy like Tee. He can change everything for us.” as Kendrick Bourne himself put it.

But will the Patriots dice Tee Higgins? The allure is undeniable. Higgins gives Maye a good receiver, someone that can dribble, and move the pigskin. But at the price (around $30+ million a year) and given his track record of injury, this is a gamble. “Higgins is a bona fide WR1,” SportsNaut’s Matt Johnson wrote. “But the Bengals will fight to keep him. It’ll take aggressive money and a strong pitch to lure him away.”

Vrabel’s Patriots are an unlikely landing spot for Higgins, given that their coach is all grit, no glitter, but we don’t have time for the one-dimensional receiver. Patriots fans will be paying attention in the offseason. Is Vrabel going to stay with his weapons and care more about quality and longevity? Or will Tee Higgins’s prospective entrap you?

But at least the chessboard is in place. The Patriots with cap space, and a young QB who is very talented, have to make choices. And there’s Tee Higgins somewhere in Cincinnati, his future as elusive as the Patriots.