Higgins played 12 games last season on the franchise tag and made the most of it, finishing as the WR18 overall and WR3 on a per-game basis. He set a career high with 9.1 targets per game (previous best: 7.9 in 2021) and parlayed that volume into his most productive season yet. Matt Harmon of Reception Perception said 2024 “may have been his best campaign as a pro,” and the Bengals clearly agreed, rewarding him with a long-term deal in March. Higgins finished 26th in yards per route run—solid WR2 territory—but his YAC/reception rank (86th out of 110 qualified receivers) underscores his more traditional, downfield possession role. That said, he doesn’t need YAC to win. He wins with size, physicality, and high-value targets from one of the league’s best quarterbacks. He’s finally locked into the Bengals’ long-term plans and should remain a high-volume WR2 with weekly WR1 upside in 2025.