Why Bengals WR Tee Higgins is on pace for his best season ever

• Ben BabyOct 31, 2026, 06:00 AM ET

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  Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).

CINCINNATI -- When Tee Higgins sat alongside Ja'Marr Chase to ink their nine-figure contract extensions with the Cincinnati Bengals, the expenditures seemed like a luxury.

The two wide receivers' contracts totaled $276 million, a lot of money to commit to one position group. But over the past two seasons, they have given the Bengals their money's worth.

Chase has been a two-time All-Pro selection and is on the verge of being the most decorated receiver in franchise history. Higgins has been no slouch, either. Especially this season.

Burrow, Higgins... TOUCHDOWN. CINvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+ Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/vFC9wKT6D1

— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026

Through seven weeks, Higgins has been one of the NFL's most productive receivers. And as Higgins gets deeper into his career, this season has reinforced his standing on one of the league's most dynamic offenses.

"We're going to keep feeding him," said quarterback Joe Burrow, who added that getting the ball to Chase is also a top priority. "But the way that Tee's playing right now, it's hard not to throw his way."

Entering Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Higgins is fourth in the NFL in receiving yards per game (95.2). The seventh-year player is on pace for easily the best season of his career.

The value of what the 6-4, 220-pound Higgins brings to the offense has been apparent since the Bengals took him in the second round of the 2020 draft. And that specific style of receiver -- a tall, long player who can win on the outside -- is clearly something the Bengals favor. This year, Cincinnati used a fourth-round pick on 6-3, 218-pound wide receiver Colbie Young, someone Burrow said has the "same archetype as Tee."

But Higgins has proved this season why he has often been referred to as a "1B" option alongside Chase and is one of the league's best receivers in his own right.

According to Next Gen Stats, Higgins has been one of the top receivers on tight window throws. When a ball has arrived with less than a yard of separation, Higgins has a league-high 7.1 expected points added on catches in those situations. He has also caught six of nine targets into tight windows for 99 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

"When you're Joe Burrow and the ball's got to leave your hand, knowing that he's going to go get it and at the very least he's going to go protect it is a powerful thing," Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said.

Sometimes Burrow has made up his mind long before most quarterbacks think about raising their arms to throw. For example, Burrow hit Higgins for a 19-yard completion against Baltimore in a look that seems absurd on tape. When Burrow started his throwing motion, Higgins was still several yards behind Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey. But Burrow trusted that he and Higgins were on the same page and fired the ball into the vacant space in the middle of the field.

"If it was somebody else, maybe I don't make that throw," Burrow said. "But I trust Tee and I know Tee's going to see exactly what I'm seeing and go and get that thing."

Throughout this career, Higgins has remained as understated as possible, which is another reason why he's a good fit alongside Chase.

When Higgins spoke after the win in Baltimore on Sunday, he was quick to deflect any praise.

"Whether the ball was coming my way or not, I'm just happy we got the win," he said in the locker room.

But if anyone knows why Higgins has been so good this season, it's his potential understudy. When Young, Cincinnati's rookie receiver, was in high school in Binghamton, New York, he went to a camp at Clemson ahead of Higgins' last year in college. From there, he started watching tape and studied what made Higgins a great receiver.

Now, Young is getting to see it daily. He pointed to the work ethic Higgins and Chase displayed in the months leading up to the season, from showing up to voluntary workouts to working together in Miami in the summer.

Said Young: "Everything they do in offseason leading up to here is showing up."