Tee Higgins has spent years in a strange but enviable lane: not the Bengals’ top receiver, yet still good enough to be treated like one. Since Ja’Marr Chase arrived in 2021, Higgins has been one of the NFL’s most dangerous No. 2 options, and that reputation still holds even with a new name moving ahead of him in the latest rankings.
Sports Illustrated placed Higgins at No. 2 on its list of the best WR2s heading into 2026, sliding Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens into the top spot. That doesn’t change the core argument around Higgins, though. He remains the ideal running mate for Chase, and SI made clear why he’s been so highly valued in Cincinnati.
“The perfect complement to Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins and Chase have formed the most consistent and highest-paid receiving duo in the league over the past five years. Since joining the Bengals as a second-round pick in 2020, Higgins has recorded two 1,000-yard receiving seasons and two double-digit receiving touchdown seasons. Had Higgins not missed multiple games due to injury in each of the past three seasons, he’d likely have even more 1,000-yard campaigns on his résumé,” SI wrote.
That production has come despite the injury interruptions, which have kept him from stacking even bigger numbers. Still, when Higgins has been on the field, he’s been a major piece of what Cincinnati wants to do through the air.
“With Higgins and Chase out wide, the Bengals hold one of the best passing attacks in the NFL-especially when Joe Burrow is healthy-and Higgins is a pivotal part of that success as he hauls in contested catches and touchdowns. After all, there’s a reason Burrow vouched so heavily for both Higgins and Chase to get paid,“ SI continued.
Pickens now gets the nod over him after landing in Dallas alongside CeeDee Lamb. Sports Illustrated pointed to the Cowboys having two true WR1s and suggested Pickens could be in line for an even bigger 2026, with a contract extension in Dallas part of the picture.
Even with the No. 2 ranking, Higgins’ standing hasn’t really changed. He’s still one of the league’s best wideouts, and when he’s healthy, he’s the kind of complement to Chase that makes Cincinnati’s passing game hum.
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