There are a lot of incredible wide receivers in the NFL as the position gets deeper and deeper with every draft. Among the teams with a talented duo are the Cincinnati Bengals.
Atop the Bengals’ wide receiver depth chart are Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Quarterback Joe Burrow has the luxury of having two No. 1 receivers to work with, something other signal callers around the league would die for as they don’t even have one.
Over at CBS Sports, Cody Benjamin ranked the top wide receiver duos in the NFL. Somewhat shockingly, the Bengals tandem of Chase and Higgins came in at No. 4.
“If they’re fully healthy and invested, they could easily be ranked atop the list, especially with Joe Burrow divvying up the touches. Chase has made his cruise to 3,700 yards in three years look easy, rivaling his ex-LSU teammate Justin Jefferson in sheer open-field burst. Higgins, meanwhile, could be primed for a major rebound after an injury-marred 2023, seeking his third career 1,000-yard run as a quick big man,” Benjamin wrote.
Ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals stars are Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison of the Minnesota Vikings, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith of the Philadelphia Eagles and Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle of the Miami Dolphins.
It is certainly surprising that Jefferson and Addison are ranked ahead of Chase and Higgins. While Jefferson can stake a claim to being the best wide receiver in the NFL, the Bengals duo has a longer track record together than the Vikings pairing.
Will the Bengals be able to keep both of their top receivers?
The disrespect in the rankings should be added motivation for Chase and Higgins, not that they needed more. Chase is looking to cement his place as one of the best wide receivers in the league, as he is eligible for an extension next offseason.
He will be looking to meet or exceed the deal that Jefferson, his former teammate at LSU with Burrow, received. Higgins, as Benjamin noted, is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 season that was derailed by injuries.
This could be the last season they are a duo with the Cincinnati Bengals. Higgins has not received a long-term deal from the team and will be hitting free agency again in 2025 after having the franchise tag placed on him this season.
Can the Bengals afford to pay two players at the same position top of the market money? We will find out eventually, as the front office and ownership have some difficult decisions that lie ahead.
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