Bengals' Star Wide Receivers Ranked Among NFL's Top-2 Duos

Cincinnati sports one of the best wide receiver combinations in the NFL, no matter how you slice it. The big question is where the Bengals slot in around the top of the league's hierarchy each offseason.

Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano dropped his top-five duos heading into training camps this month, and the Cincinnati duo of Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase took the top spot.

Best This Decade

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) walk to the practice field, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It's not hard to see why after Higgins posted one of the healthiest seasons of his career. Oh, and that duo leads the NFL in receptions (842), receiving yards (11,370), and receiving TDs (93) since the start of the 2021 season.

"The Bengals’ one-two punch checks all the boxes with a proven track record over the past five seasons. With most duos, it’s about complementing each other with different skills. That’s not the case with Chase, a top-three wideout, and Higgins, a clutch playmaker who can take over games when needed," Manzano wrote. "They’re both versatile as wideouts who can make plays downfield and near the line of scrimmage. It also helps that Joe Burrow is an established elite quarterback. Chase has recorded at least 81 catches and 1,000 yards in all five of his seasons. Higgins’s numbers aren’t as high due to him being the second option, but he’s reached at least 900 yards in four of his six seasons and is coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 10 receiving touchdowns. As for other impressive numbers, they’re the only receiver teammates making at least $28 million annually.

"However, this dynamic offense has been held back a bit, playing with a poor defense the past few seasons. It’s been three years since (Joe) Burrow, Chase and Higgins played in a playoff game, but this group got to a Super Bowl in the 2021 season, Chase’s rookie year. Perhaps this high-scoring offense can return to the big stage after the offseason moves the Bengals made defensively, including the trade for star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II. The AFC likely doesn’t want to see this scary offense return to the postseason."

Higgins played 15-plus games for the first time since the 2022 season this past fall, and both players had zero distractions to keep them from trying to level up again this fall.

Their health, plus Burrow's, is the biggest marker for how high Cincinnati can rise in the league this coming season.

The whole franchise knows its bread is buttered in the passing game through these talents, and that's not going to change anytime soon, especially this fall. Cincinnati has arguably the best offensive weapon depth in the NFL this coming season, and hard to argue against them sporting the league's best wide receiver duo.

A case can be made for the other top-three pairing in this group: the Los Angeles Rams (Puka Nacua and Davante Adams No. 2) and the Dallas Cowboys (CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens at No. 3).

Check out the full article here.

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