The Cincinnati Bengals may have the best one-two punch in the NFL at wide receiver.
Ja’Marr Chase gets most of the accolades, rightfully so, but he’s not on his own.
Tee Higgins has also proven to be a star, and he could post even bigger numbers if he played somewhere else.
That’s why, after watching one of his highlight reels, Bengals legend Chad Johnson had the ultimate praise for him.
“The real 85,” Johnson wrote on X, reposting a Higgins edit.
The real 8️⃣5️⃣ 🫡 https://t.co/issQ6StDOr
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) September 1, 2025
For context, Higgins wore No. 85 when he entered the league.
The NFL didn’t allow wide receivers to wear a single-digit number until a couple of years ago, and that’s when Higgins changed to No. 5, which was his college number at Clemson.
Asked about that decision, Higgins tipped his hat to Johnson, stating that he had done so much for the organization, it only seemed right that he not wear Johnson’s former number.
Higgins and the Bengals haven’t always seen eye to eye, and there was a legitimate chance that he wasn’t going to return or be on the field to start this season.
He resented the organization’s decision to use a franchise tag on him, but fortunately for both sides, they came to terms on a lucrative contract extension.
Multiple teams were keeping tabs on his situation, knowing that Higgins could be a legitimate WR1 for them, instead of being second behind Chase with Cincinnati.
Now, Higgins will try to prove why he deserves that new deal.
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