The Buffalo Bills again fell short of the Super Bowl, losing to Kansas City in the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years. They went into 2024 with the “everybody eats” mantra describing their offensive plan without a No. 1 receiving option, and that plan took them to the AFC Championship Game.
It’s easy to throw the weight of the team on Josh Allen but NFL insider Albert Breer thinks the Bills need to pursue a big-name free agent to help their MVP quarterback.
NFL Insider Says Bills Should Pursue Tee Higgins
Buffalo said goodbye to Stefon Diggs last offseason, trading its No. 1 receiver to the Houston Texans, and they couldn’t fill that hole with another big-name player. The Bills drafted Keon Coleman in the second round and were content with Allen spreading the ball to everyone.
Khalil Shakir was the only receiver room holdover and led the team with 76 receptions for 821 yards in the regular season. Coleman played in only 13 games because of a wrist injury and posted 29 catches for 556 yards and four scores in his rookie campaign. Mack Hollins was a free agent signing in 2024 and led the team with five touchdowns, adding three important catches and another score in the AFC Championship Game.
The Bills knew they still needed help midway through the season and traded picks to Cleveland for Amari Cooper. The veteran was languishing in Cleveland’s offense and came aboard to play in eight regular-season games for Buffalo. However, he didn’t add much firepower, totaling 20 receptions, 297 yards, and two touchdowns.
Buffalo expected more from its top two tight ends, Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. Kincaid was banged up most of the season, posting 44 catches, 448 yards, and two touchdowns while having a drop that will live in infamy for Bills Mafia in the Championship Game. Knox stepped up when Kincaid was out but was closer to a non-factor than an effective option, catching 22 balls for 311 yards and a score.
Allen and running back James Cook were the engines that drove the Buffalo offense in 2024. Cook eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards and was tied for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns. Allen brought home the MVP despite not having an offensive difference-maker and finished No. 3 in PFSN’s QB+ metric.
The Bills’ front office needs to give Allen a playmaking receiver and Breer brought PFSN’s No. 1 free agent in a recent mailbag article.
Breer was asked what the Bills need to do to get by Kansas City and responded, “I wouldn’t rule out the idea of the Buffalo Bills pursuing Tee Higgins.
“Now, I’d bet there would be limits on how far they’d go, but adding a real No. 1, assuming you project Higgins to be that away from Ja’Marr Chase, would allow for you to slot guys such as Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, James Cook, and Dalton Kincaid into roles that would make the group, as a whole, a real problem. And if you do that, I think then the Bills can drill down in the draft on getting faster on defense.”
It’s an intriguing idea for both sides. Allen and the Bills are desperate for the final piece to get them over the Kansas City hump, and Higgins should be looking for a contender.
The receiver was a second-round pick by Cincinnati in 2020 and has been highly productive playing with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Higgins has had contract disputes with the Bengals and played in 2024 under the franchise tag worth $21.8 million. He posted 73 catches, 911 yards, and 10 scores in 12 games last season, and will be looking for a long-term deal.
The Bills are a logical fit if they can swing it financially, and Higgins could be the final piece to end the suffering of Bills Mafia.