The Pittsburgh Steelers have a comfortable first-place lead in the AFC North as they remain 3-0 and undefeated heading into Week 4. Behind Pittsburgh with 1-2 records are the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, who both have fan bases going into panic mode. Last in the division is the Cincinnati Bengals, who have two very unhappy wide receivers playing with quarterback Joe Burrow. Both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins wanted new contracts from the Bengals before the 2024 season, but were both left unpaid and unsatisfied.
Bleacher Report
Steelers' rival Cincinnati Bengals' WR's Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins taking the field.
Drafted by Cincinnati in 2020, Higgins finished his rookie contract with the team as the 2023 season came to a conclusion. Higgins was frustratingly not going to get an extension from the Bengals and was forced to sign a one-year deal to play on the franchise tag for 2024. It was clear that this was going to be Higgins' last stint with Cincinnati, but it's now entirely possible that the receiver gets traded.
Higgins was sidelined for the first two weeks of the regular season due to a hamstring injury, putting the Bengals at a huge disadvantage. In his 2024 debut in Week 3, Higgins only managed to secure three catches for 39 yards in the team's loss to the Washington Commanders. Meanwhile, Chase had a huge game with 100 yards and two touchdowns.
Higgins was seen giving some pessimistic words to Cincinnati fans on his way to practice. He sort of insinuates that he is nowhere near happy with his situation in Cincinnati.
"Hey Tee, we're 1-2 in fantasy. I'm starting you."
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) September 27, 2024
Tee Higgins: "You might as well bench me." 😳#RuleTheJungle | #NFLpic.twitter.com/DomUAfrEdC
Cincinnati has some serious issues to sort out with their play-makers. If Higgins continues to be unhappy and the losing streak continues for the Bengals, he could be on his way out by the time the trade deadline rolls around. Cincinnati, however, isn't the only AFC North squad with an unhappy receiver.
Steelers' Division Rival Browns Making Things Extremely Tough On Star WR Amari Cooper
The Browns have a completely discombobulated offense and it seems as if none of the players are on the same page. For whatever reason, Head Coach Kevin Stefanski, play-caller for the Browns' offense, continues to pass the ball with Deshaun Watson.
Watson got no playing time during the preseason, and many fans from the Dawg Pound expected the offense to focus on running the ball. Through three weeks, the Browns have the fourth most pass attempts in the league while allowing the most sacks with 16.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper is another guy who wanted a contract extension during the 2024 offseason, but Cleveland refused to do oblige. The Browns did some restructuring to give Cooper more money in 2024, but still gave Cooper no long-term security. With that, it's well known around Cleveland that this will likely be Cooper's last season there. Cooper was really left with only one option: play his butt off this season to prove to other franchises that he's worthy of a big contract.
Athlon Sports
Steelers' AFC North rival Cleveland Browns have an upset Amari Cooper in 2024.
Unfortunately for Cooper, it's hard to prove his value in an offense that is simply broken. Cleveland's offensive line is depleted by injuries, leaving no time for Watson to get the ball out, and even when he does get a throw off, it's not always very accurate. Watson and the Browns have the fourth worst passer rating, the third lowest passing yards per game, and third worst completion percentage. Keep in mind, that this is all with the fourth highest pass attempts across the league.
It's not far fetched at all to think that Cooper could demand a trade from Cleveland before the deadline to play for a team where he can prove his value. With that being said about Cooper and Higgins, the Steelers have a sneaky opportunity to snag one of these guys from their division rival in what would be an extremely rare in-division trade.
Steelers.com
Steelers' WR George Pickens in 2024.
The Steelers need to get George Pickens some help. Even though Calvin Austin III had a nice outing in Week 3, Pittsburgh's receiver depth is unreliable. The Steelers weren't able to make a trade during the 2024 offseason, but they could make a move on a big name before the trade deadline after Week 9.
What do you think about Higgins and Cooper? Should they demand trades from their failing AFC North teams? Let us know in the comments!
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