A 2020 second-round draft pick of the Bengals, Higgins has emerged as one of the NFL's top young receivers through four pro seasons ... He posted over 1000 receiving yards in back-to-back years in 2021 and '22, then followed up with 656 yards in 12 games played in 2023 ... Missed five games during 2023 season due to injuries, but still ranked fourth on the team in receptions (42), third in receiving yards and second in receiving TDs (five) ... His 3684 career receiving yards rank 20th in the NFL since he entered the league in 2020 ... Has saved some of his top performances for key games late in the season, as five of his 12 100-yard receiving games in regular-season play have come in the month of December ... Also has two 100-yard games in the postseason, including 103 in the AFC Championship following the 2021 campaign, and 100 two weeks later in Super Bowl LVI.
Selected by Cincinnati in second round of 2020 NFL Draft (33rd overall) ... Signed with Bengals on 7-28-20 ... Named by Bengals as designated franchise player on 2-26-24 ... Bengals contract expired on 3-13-24 (remained under tender) ... Re-signed with Bengals as designated franchise player on 6-17-24.
2020—Played in all 16 games (14 starts) as a rookie ... Led team in receiving yards (908) and receiving TDs (six), and was second in catches (67) ... At the time, his receptions total tied Cris Collinsworth for Bengals rookie record, while receiving yardage total was fourth and receiving TDs total tied for fifth ... Ranked third among NFL rookies in 2020 in receptions, receiving yards and receiving TDs ... Made NFL debut on Sept. 13 vs. L.A. Chargers (no statistics) ... Recorded first career start and first career reception (18-yarder) on Sept. 17 at Cleveland ... Had first two career receiving TDs on Sept. 27 at Philadelphia, becoming the fifth Bengals rookie ever with a multi-TD performance ... Tallied first career 100-yard receiving game on Oct. 18 at Indianapolis, when he hauled in six catches for season-high 125 yards, including a 67-yarder that set up a TD on the next play ... Had season-high seven grabs for 115 yards with two TDs on Nov. 15 at Pittsburgh ... Left season finale vs. Baltimore with an injury on Cincinnati's first possession.
2021—Started 14 regular-season games and played in all four postseason games (three starts) ... Missed Games 3-4 due to shoulder injury, and Game 17 when Cincinnati rested starters for playoffs ... Caught 74 passes for 1091 yards and six TDs during regular season ... Each of his four 100-yard receiving games came over final six regular-season contests ... Streak of three straight 100-yard receiving games tied for the third-longest such streak in team history — 114 yards and a TD on Nov. 28 vs. Pittsburgh, 138 yards and a TD on Dec. 5 vs. the L.A. Chargers, and 114 yards on Dec. 12 vs. San Francisco ... Posted career-highs in catches (12) and receiving yards (194), with two TDs, on Dec. 26 vs. Baltimore ... Caught six passes for game-high 103 yards in AFC Championship win at Kansas City ... Caught four passes for game-high 100 yards in Super Bowl LVI, including two TDs — 75-yarder on first offensive play of the second half was the longest play from scrimmage in Bengals postseason history.
2022—Played in all 16 regular-season games (14 starts) and started all three postseason contests ... Caught 74 passes for 1029 yards and seven TDs during regular season ... One of six players in team history with multiple 1000-yard receiving campaigns within first three seasons ... Managed to play at least one snap in every game, but three separate injuries forced him to miss nearly nine full quarters of play ... Had team-high six catches for 71 yards and a fourth-quarter TD on Sept. 18 at Dallas ... Netted 124 yards on seven catches on Sept. 29 vs. Miami, including 59-yard TD grab in second quarter ... Delivered back-to-back 100-yard receiving games with WR Ja'Marr Chase out of the lineup in Games 10-11, beginning with nine-catch, 148-yard stat line on Nov. 20 at Pittsburgh ... Caught seven passes for 114 yards on Nov. 27 at Tennessee, including 27-yard TD early in fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winner ... Surpassed 1000-yard receiving mark with eight grabs for 128 yards on Dec. 24 at New England, and capped off game's opening drive with a nine-yard TD reception ... Caught 13 passes for 148 yards and a TD during postseason ... Posted team-high 83 yards on six receptions in AFC Championship at Kansas City, and caught a game-tying 27-yard TD pass in the third quarter.
2023—Played in 12 games with 11 starts ... Inactive for five games due to injuries ... Caught 42 passes for 656 yards (15.6 average) and five TDs ... Led Bengals in receptions (eight) and receiving yards (89) with two TDs on Sept. 17 vs. Baltimore; both of his TDs and 62 of his receiving yards came in the second half ... Sustained rib injury on Oct. 1 at Tennessee, and missed the following week's game on Oct. 8 at Arizona ... Caught five passes for 69 yards on Oct. 29 at San Francisco, including 33-yarder on final play of third quarter that marked the Bengals' longest play from scrimmage ... Went over 100 receiving yards for first time of season with 110 on eight catches on Nov. 5 vs. Buffalo ... Missed Games 9-11 due to hamstring injury, then returned to lineup for Game 12 at Jacksonville on Dec. 4 ... Had three grabs for 36 yards against Jaguars, including 10-yarder on third-and-11 in overtime to help set up game-winning FG ... On Dec. 16 vs. Minnesota, helped spearhead double-digit comeback with two TD catches in the fourth quarter; second TD tied the game with 39 seconds remaining ... Finished Vikings game with four catches for 61 yards ... Caught five passes for season-high 140 yards on Dec. 23 at Pittsburgh, highlighted by a career-long 80-yard TD in the third quarter to give Cincinnati its first points ... Missed the regular-season finale vs. Cleveland due to hamstring injury.
Spent three seasons (2017-19) at Clemson ... Played in 43 career games, and compiled 135 receptions for 2448 yards and 27 TDs ... Receiving TDs total tied for most in school history with DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins ... First player in school history with double-digit receiving TDs in consecutive seasons ... Helped Clemson to berths in the College Football Playoff in each of his three seasons ... Tigers finished 15-0 and won national championship during his sophomore season in 2018, and were 14-1 and national runners up as a junior in '19 (lost to Joe Burrow's and Ja'Marr Chase's LSU Tigers).
Hometown is Oak Ridge, Tenn. (outside Knoxville) ... Attended Oak Ridge High School, where he won Tennessee's Mr. Football award for the 5A level as both a junior and senior ... Caught 68 passes for 1044 yards and 18 TDs as a senior, and added three scores on punt returns and another on an INT return ... Played in 2017 Under Armour All-American Game ... Also averaged 15 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in basketball as junior and was finalist for Tennessee's Mr. Basketball award ... Sports communication major at Clemson ... Considered former Bengal A.J. Green his favorite NFL player growing up and says he modeled his game after Green.
