Top 10 Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receivers of All-Time

10. Tee Higgins

Hopefully, Tee Higgins will be designed for the future; if he does, he will undoubtedly climb this list, barring injuries. Higgins edged out guys like Charlie Joiner and Tim McGee for the tenth spot on this list. Joiner is a Hall of Famer, but he only played four seasons for the Bengals before being traded to the San Diego Chargers after the 1975 season. Higgins first four season numbers are as good as what McGee did for his entire career. Plus, Higgins has made big catches in massive games during his career.

Tee Higgins | 2024 Highlights

9. Eddie Brown

Eddie Brown, the No. 13 overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft and a South Florida native, played a crucial role in helping the Miami Hurricanes win their first national title in 1983. He capped off his outstanding 1988 season with the Cincinnati Bengals by competing in Super Bowl XXIII, held in his hometown. During the 1988 season, Brown had the best year of his career, ranking third in the league with a personal-best 1,273 receiving yards. This performance earned him his only Pro Bowl selection. He also led the NFL with an impressive average of 24.0 yards per catch that season, which remains the highest mark in Bengals history.

In 1988, Brown recorded five 100-yard games, ranking second in franchise history, just behind Chad Johnson, who had six. As the 1985 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Brown notched six career touchdowns of at least 60 yards, placing him fourth in team history. His career average of 16.90 yards per catch is just shy of the team record of 17.07 held by Curtis. Overall, Brown ranks fifth in touchdowns (41), sixth in receiving yards (6,134), and ninth in receptions (386) in Bengals history.

Eddie Brown Bengals TD highlights

8. Darnay Scott

Darnay Scott, the owner of one of the longest receiving touchdowns in Cincinnati Bengals history and 12 scoring catches of at least 40 yards, was arguably the most consistent wide receiver to wear the team’s uniform. Drafted in the second round out of San Diego State, Scott had six seasons within a seven-year span, where his receiving yards ranged from 797 to 866. The only exception was his sixth season in 1999, during which he achieved a career-high of 1,022 yards.

As a rookie, Scott caught 46 passes and maintained between 51 and 58 catches in five of his next six seasons, with a notable 68 receptions in 1999. He also recorded five touchdown receptions in each of his first four seasons and seven touchdowns in each of his two following seasons. In terms of statistics, Scott ranks tied for seventh in the team’s history with 36 receiving touchdowns, and he is eighth in both receptions (386) and receiving yards (5,975). While he was consistently productive from year to year, Scott’s play was also explosive. His 85-yard touchdown catch from Jeff Blake in 1995 is the third-longest in team history, and he averaged 15.48 yards per reception, ranking fifth overall. Only Isaac Curtis (15), Chad Johnson (13), and Chris Collinsworth (13) had more 40-yard touchdowns than Scott, who tied for first in the league in that category during both his rookie and final seasons with the Bengals.

The Dynamic Duo of Pickens and Scott

7. T.J. Houshmandzadeh

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the only player on this list drafted after the second round, turned a seventh-round selection into an impressive eight-year career, establishing himself as one of the best wide receivers in the team’s history. He set the single season record for receptions with 112 in 2007 and ranks fifth in the team’s history for total receptions (507), sixth for touchdowns (37), and ninth for receiving yards (5,782). Houshmandzadeh led the NFL in 2007 with those 112 receptions, a franchise record that still stands today. Selected as the 27th receiver out of 34 drafted in 2001, he finished with the fifth-most receptions in that class and ranked sixth in receiving yards and touchdowns.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh Bengals Highlights | NFL

6. Cris Collinsworth

Chris Collinsworth was selected in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft out of Florida and quickly became a key player for the Cincinnati Bengals. In his rookie season, he recorded 67 receptions for 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns, finishing second in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race to George Rogers. He was named to the Pro Bowl and earned Second-Team All-Pro honors. Over the next seven seasons, Collinsworth had three additional campaigns that surpassed 1,000 yards receiving. He also made two more Pro Bowl appearances and was named to two more Second-Team All-Pro squads. To this day, he ranks sixth in franchise history in receptions, fifth in receiving yards, and seventh in touchdowns. Unfortunately injuries shortened what was a great career.

Cris Collinsworth: Cincinnati Bengals Highlights

5. A.J. Green

On the opposite end of the “look at me!” spectrum typically associated with wide receivers like Chad Johnson is A.J. Green. The former Georgia standout joined the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011, the year after Johnson, known as “Ochocinco,” left the team. While Green preferred to conduct his business quietly, his performance on the field was anything but subdued. As a rookie, Green surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and earned a spot in the Pro Bowl. He went on to make the Pro Bowl in seven consecutive seasons and exceeded 1,000 yards in six of those seasons, narrowly missing out with 964 yards in 2016, when he played only 10 games.

The tall, lanky pass-catcher earned recognition with two Second-Team All-Pro selections but never quite made it to the First-Team roster. Overall, Green played nine seasons in Cincinnati over a span of 10 years, as he missed the entire 2019 season due to an ankle injury. He was instrumental in helping the Bengals achieve their most successful era, as the team reached the playoffs in five straight seasons from 2011 to 2015. However, they did not win a single playoff game during that stretch. When Green departed for one final season with the Arizona Cardinals, his career totals of 649 receptions, 9,430 yards, and 65 touchdowns ranked second only to Johnson in the Bengals’ record books.

Best of A.J Green | Bengals Highlights | 2011-2020

4. Carl Pickens

Carl Pickens was a standout at the University of Tennessee and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He quickly proved his worth as a wide receiver, catching 26 passes for 326 yards and one touchdown. Additionally, he showcased his versatility by returning punts, including a remarkable 95-yard touchdown return. This impressive performance earned him the title of Offensive Rookie of the Year for 1992, in what was considered a weaker draft class.

Standing at 6 feet 2 inches and known for his speed, Pickens went on to make two Pro Bowl appearances and received Second-Team All-Pro honors in both 1995 and 1996. In 1995, he led the NFL with 17 touchdown receptions. During his nine-year career—eight of which were spent with the Bengals—Pickens had four seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards. He finished his time in Cincinnati with a total of 530 receptions, 6,887 yards, and 63 touchdowns. Pickens also left a significant mark on NFL history, but not in a positive light like Isaac Curtis did. In fact, there is a “Carl Pickens Clause” in player contracts, which originated from a stipulation implemented by Bengals owner Mike Brown. This clause allows the team to fine players for publicly criticizing the organization. It was introduced after Pickens publicly criticized the Bengals in 2000 for not firing head coach Bruce Coslet.

Easy Pickens – Carl Pickens Career Highlights

3. Chad Johnson

You can refer to him as Chad Johnson or “Ochocinco,” but make sure to recognize him as one of the best wide receivers in Bengals history. While it’s easy to recall his trash talk, extravagant celebrations, and his claim that he ate McDonald’s to protect himself from injuries, Johnson was an exceptional NFL wide receiver for many years. A second-round pick out of Oregon State in 2001, Johnson started slowly as a rookie before breaking out in his second season with 1,166 receiving yards. He had five consecutive seasons with over 1,000 yards and six in seven years. In 2006, he led the league with 1,369 receiving yards. Throughout his time with the Bengals, Johnson accumulated 751 receptions, 10,783 receiving yards, and 66 touchdowns, all of which still stand as franchise career records. He was selected to the Pro Bowl six times and earned two First-Team All-Pro honors.

Chad Johnson/OchoCinco Highlights – Can’t Be Touched

2. Issac Curtis

Ken Anderson, who served as quarterback for the Bengals from 1971 to 1986, is considered one of the greatest players in the team’s history. A significant factor for his success was playing alongside wide receiver Isaac Curtis throughout his career. Curtis had a unique journey to the NFL, primarily due to his exceptional speed. Originally from California, he began his college career at Cal Berkeley as a running back and kick returner, while also excelling on the track team as a hurdler and sprinter.

He later transferred to San Diego State University, where he transitioned to wide receiver under the guidance of the legendary coach Don Coryell, known for developing the modern vertical passing game. In the early days of the “Air Coryell” offense, Curtis made a notable impact, leading to his selection as the 15th overall pick by the Bengals in the 1973 NFL Draft. The first-round pick lived up to expectations, finishing his rookie season with 45 receptions for 843 yards and nine touchdowns. His impressive performance earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl, and he was recognized as a strong candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, finishing third in the voting behind Chuck Foreman and Charlie Young.

Curtis played 12 seasons in the NFL, achieving four Pro Bowl appearances and three Second-Team All-Pro selections. He recorded 416 receptions, 7,101 receiving yards, and scored 53 touchdowns throughout his career. However, his most significant contribution to the NFL is known as the “Isaac Curtis Rule.” This rule prohibits defensive backs from bumping or holding a receiver more than five yards from the line of scrimmage, and it was implemented due to Curtis’s remarkable speed. Coaches instructed their defensive backs to push and hold Curtis all the way down the field until the ball was in the air, at which point it would result in pass interference. To ensure Curtis could take advantage of his speed, the league established the five-yard rule. Now that’s a significant rule-change.

Isaac Curtis Highlights

1. Jamar Chase

On the night Chase was selected with the No. 5 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, he made a bold declaration: he was coming to Cincinnati to break all the records. So far, he is well on his way to achieving that goal. The 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year already holds or shares several franchise records, including single-game receptions (15), single-game receiving yards (266), and single-season receiving yards (1,455). He broke that single-season yards this season when he had over 1,700 yards receiving and single-season receptions at 127, as he won the triple crown for receiving.

Of Chase plays his entire career in Cincinnati he will own ever Bengals record imaginable.

Ja’Marr Chase | Top Career Plays so far