The Cincinnati Bengals finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the third straight time this season, but not because of star wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase finished third in the NFL with 125 catches, fourth with 1,412 receiving yards, and tied for 11th with eight touchdown catches, while Higgins tallied 59 catches for 846 yards and 11 scores. He was tied for second in football in touchdown catches.

The duo also put up those numbers despite franchise quarterback Joe Burrow missing nine games due to turf toe. Chase won the receiving Triple Crown when Burrow played every game in 2024, and Higgins logged 73 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns over just 12 contests.

Chase and Higgins have been an elite one-two punch since 2021, when they nearly won the Super Bowl. Higgins tallied 1,091 yards and six touchdowns while Chase had 1,455 yards and 13 scores as a rookie that year.

Cincinnati drafted Higgins No. 33 overall in 2020, the same year it took Burrow with the first selection. The 27-year-old hauled in 67 catches for 908 yards and six touchdowns over 16 games that season.

Assuming they don't get traded, their Bengals careers are far from over. Higgins is signed through 2028, and Chase through 2029. However, their accomplishments have already made them two of the best receivers in franchise history.

Chase was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 and is a three-time All-Pro as well as a five-time Pro Bowler. Meanwhile, Higgins has recorded 800-plus yards in all but one season, which was when he played just 12 games in 2023.

How do they compare to past Cincinnati receiving greats?

Currently, Chase is fifth on the Bengals' all-time list of receiving yardage leaders with 6,837. The 25-year-old is behind Carl Pickens (6,887), Isaac Curtis (7,101), A.J. Green (9,430), and Chad Johnson (10,783). Meanwhile, Higgins is 11th with 5,441.

Chase averages 87.7 yards per game, while Higgins is at 64. If Chase stays at that pace over the next few years, he could pass Johnson by the early 2030s, assuming he stays with the team. 

Additionally, Higgins is on pace to reach seventh place by the end of next season, which would put him right behind Cris Collinsworth (6,698). The former Clemson Tiger could also catch Johnson if he plays around six more seasons in Cincinnati.

Legacy-wise, Chase and Higgins could also skip the line by being driving forces to a Bengals Super Bowl win. The team has never won a ring since being founded in 1967.