When the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Tee Higgins in the second round of the 2020 Draft, it was a revival of something “cool” in Cincinnati. With their first two picks in that franchise-changing 2020 Draft, the Bengals selected Joe Burrow (No. 1 overall) and Tee Higgins (No. 33 overall).
In doing so, they brought back a combination that took Cincinnati by storm 15 years prior; 9 + 85 = Cool. Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson made the Bengals cool in the mid-2000s. FOX19’s Jeremy Rauch did a story shortly
after the 2020 Draft about how Burrow and Higgins would be bringing that cool combination back to The Jungle.
Before the Bengals drafted Ja’Marr Chase the next year, with Chase now on his way towards becoming, arguably, the greatest wide receiver in Bengals history, it was Tee Higgins in the spotlight as Joe Burrow’s No. 1 wide receiver. The Bengals drafted Higgins to give Burrow a legitimate weapon to throw to, a rookie wide receiver to develop alongside Burrow in his rookie season. Burrow and Higgins quickly developed a strong connection, hooking up for four touchdowns and six straight games with Higgins going over 50 receiving yards. Higgins eclipsed 100 yards in two of those games.
Six years later, and after five years of living in Ja’Marr Chase’s shadow, Tee Higgins is finally having a career year, his moment in the sun, you could say. But are we truly appreciating what Tee Higgins is doing through six games this season? He’s been playing like a WR1. Like a top 10 wide receiver in the NFL.
Need proof? Higgins is currently No. 8 in the NFL with 571 receiving yards. In two of his last three games, Higgins has a combined 305 receiving yards. He has 266 receiving yards in his other four games, which is still a solid 66.5 receiving yards per game. Against Jacksonville in Week 4, Higgins was the Bengals’ best healthy wide receiver for three quarters. He caught 11 passes for 157 yards when the Jaguars’ defense knew the ball was going to him. Then against the Ravens, after being held without a catch in the first half, Higgins caught six passes for 148 yards and a touchdown in the second half. He took over the game, averaging 24.7 yards per reception and all six of his catches gaining a first down.
There’s a reason Joe Burrow said Tee Higgins is a need back in 2024. Higgins can change any game with his vertical route running, big-play ability, and his knack for making chunk catches over the middle of the field. But he hasn’t been a streaky receiver this season. Higgins has 50+ receiving yards in five of the Bengals’ six games this season. In fact, he has over 90 receiving yards in four of his six games. Plus, he has five+ receptions in four of the Bengals’ six games.
Higgins’ average of 95.2 receiving yards per game is by far his career-high. Prior to this season, it was 77.9 in 2021. Right now, Higgins is on pace for 94 receptions for 1,617 yards and six touchdowns. Higgins’ career-high in receptions is 74 in both 2021 and 2022, when the Bengals’ offense was producing explosive plays every week and becoming the well-oiled machine we know it as today. Tee’s previous career-high in receiving yards is 1,091 in 2021.
You know why Burrow said Tee is a need? Because when he’s playing like he’s playing through six games this season, that’s when this Bengals’ offense is at its best and most explosive. Higgins is currently averaging 17.3 yards per reception. His next-closest career-high in a single season is 15.6 in 2023.
Even in the game against Houston when Ja’Marr Chase made his ridiculous highlight-reel catch in the corner of the end zone, Higgins was, arguably, the Bengals’ best and most important receiver on the field. Higgins led the team with 95 receiving yards in that game and made two key third-down catches for first downs. Ja’Marr Chase had two catches on the Bengals’ fourth touchdown drive against Baltimore that sealed the game, including a brutal hip turn to escape two Ravens’ defenders that turned a short pass into a 30-yard gain. Higgins, though, was the star in that second half.
Ja’Marr Chase is still, arguably, the best wide receiver in the NFL. After all, he’s tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns in the NFL with five through Week 7. He’s going to have that huge game soon that we have seen one or more times in every season of his career.
Right now, though, let’s appreciate the career year Tee Higgins is having. He was a need for a reason. Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ offense are benefiting mightily from him right now.
