Carolina Panthers fans dreaming of landing Tee Higgins in free agency will be out of luck. Reports suggest that the Cincinnati Bengals will officially take him off the board sooner rather than later, using the non-exclusive franchise tag on the gifted wide receiver for the second straight year.
Higgins was arguably the top free agent set to hit the market regardless of position. He's got No. 1 talent but plays second fiddle to phenomenal Triple Crown winner Ja'Marr Chase. Instead of getting the chance to branch out, the Bengals are giving themselves breathing space to work out a long-term extension with the player.
Whether Higgins was a legitimate target for the Panthers is anyone's guess. They don't have much financial wiggle room currently. Considering the former Clemson star was projected to get around $30 million per season on the open market, it was a little too rich for Carolina's blood right now.
Dan Morgan will have several, more realistic, options on the table. These might not be the high-profile names atop the market, but they could be useful additions for quarterback Bryce Young to utilize entering Year 3 of his professional career.
With this in mind, here are five wide receiver options for the Panthers with Higgins set to come off the board.
Wide receiver options for Carolina Panthers with Tee Higgins off the table
Carolina Panthers could sign Darius Slayton
As previously mentioned, the Carolina Panthers are working with minimal financial flexibility right now. That will change once extensions, restructures, and early releases are confirmed, but general manager Dan Morgan will look for solutions via the draft or in the second-to-third tiers of free agency.
That might not be what fans want to hear, but it's the harsh reality.
Darius Slayton ticks the boxes in this regard. The former fifth-round pick suffered a down year with the New York Giants in 2024. However, their quarterback failings and no consistent rushing attack without Saquon Barkley represent mitigating factors worth acknowledging if the Panthers went down this route.
Slayton can stretch the field. His receiving grade of 59.9 from Pro Football Focus ranked 91st out of 98 qualifying wideouts, which is concerning. But there's a good chance he can benefit from a change of scenery with a more productive quarterback distributing the football.
Much will depend on the money involved, but Slayton isn't going to command anything like what Tee Higgins would have generated on the open market. Having the chance to catch passes from Bryce Young represents an enticing proposition he'd probably consider.