Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) and Tee Higgins (5) celebrate the Chase touchdown in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 5 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. The Bengals fell to 1-4 on the season with a 41-38 loss to the Ravens. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver Duo Ranked Among NFL's Best

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By Russell Heltman | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 7:35 AM ET

CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin does not have the Bengals duo of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as his top pass-catching one-two punch this coming season. He broke down the top 10 groups this week and had Cincinnati second behind the Philadelphia Eagles' AJ. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Cincinnati locked in Chase and Higgins with long-term contracts this offseason.

"There's a reason the Bengals are usually the go-to atop receiver lists," Benjamin noted. "Higgins has struggled to stay healthy as of late, missing a combined 10 games over the last two years. But he's one of the hardest wideouts to defend when moving at full strength, boxing out cover men with his prototypical size (6-4, 220). Pair that with Chase, a walking highlight reel, and you've got arguably the most well-rounded pass-catching tandem in the league. Chase's electricity really can't be overstated. Anytime and anywhere Joe Burrow feeds No. 1, the LSU product is liable to be shot out of a cannon to the end zone."

It's a good debate at the top, with Benjamin leaning on the "clutch production" of the Eagles' pair.

"Chase and Higgins may get more headlines out of Cincinnati, perhaps because they've enjoyed a heavier workload catching passes from a pocket wizard like Burrow," Benjamin wrote. "But if you want a perfectly skilled pair that's also translated physical gifts to clutch production, there's not a strong debate here. Brown is an alpha who plays even bigger and faster than his toned frame suggests, excelling as a situational downfield outlet for Jalen Hurts. And Smith, though slighter and less heralded, is arguably just as vital to Philadelphia's championship operation, showcasing crisp routes and jump-ball fight when he's needed most."

Chase, being arguably the best receiver in the NFL this season, would be a tiebreaker for some on the other side, but both duos are worthy of a top spot.

If Higgins can stay fully healthy this fall they can leave no doubt who the go-to duo in the NFL is. He just ranked 10th leaguewide in receiving yards per game last season (75.9), while Chase famously won the receiving triple crown.

Cincinnati's pair can start flipping that "clutch production" thought when things kick off against Cleveland on Sept. 7.