The strength of the receiving corps makes Burrow excited for an even better season in 2025. Chase will be looking to build on a “Triple Crown” season, Higgins won’t have an uncertain future hanging over him like it was in 2024 and Gesicki gets to stay in the same offense for the first time since college.
Let’s take a look at the past performances of the Bengals’ wide receivers and tight ends, and how they are expected to stack up in 2025 with help from some analysis and data from Pro Football Focus.
This is the third in a series of pieces breaking down each position group for the Bengals. Next up: Offensive line.
WIDE RECEIVERS ON THE ROSTER
Starters: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas
Reserves: Jermaine Burton, Charlie Jones
Others in the mix: Cole Burgess, Jamoi Mayes, Jordan Moore, Rashod Owens, Kendric Pryor, Mitchell Tinsley, Isaiah Williams
CHASE BY THE NUMBERS
2024 stats: 1,708 yards, 17 TDs on 127 catches and 155 targets (13.4 yards per reception)
PFF grades for 2024: Chase ranked 11th of 98 qualifying wide receivers with an 85.8 overall grade. He was also 12th in receiving grade at 84.9.
PFF ranking for 2025: Chase is third of 32 wide receivers ranked by PFF going into 2025.
HIGGINS BY THE NUMBERS
2024 stats: 911 yards, 10 TDs on 73 catches and 109 targets (12.5 yards per reception)
PFF grades for 2024: Higgins ranked fifth of 98 qualifying wide receivers with an overall grade of 88.2 and seventh in receiving grade at 88.3.
PFF ranking for 2025: Higgins is 14th of 32 wide receivers ranked by PFF going into 2025.
IOSIVAS BY THE NUMBERS
2024 stats: 479 yards, 6 TDs on 36 catches and 61 targets (13.3 yards per catch)
PFF grades for 2024: Iosivas ranked 98th of 98 qualifying receivers with an overall grade of 52.7 and 98th with a receiving grade at 54.3.
PFF ranking for 2025: N/A
TIGHT ENDS ON THE ROSTER
Starter: Mike Gesicki
Backups: Erick All*, Cam Grandy, Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample
Other: Tanner McLachlan, Kole Taylor
*expected to miss the 2025 season
GESICKI BY THE NUMBERS
2024 stats: 665 yards, 2 TDs on 65 catches and 83 targets (10.2 yards per reception)
PFF grades for 2024: Gesicki ranked 13th of 37 qualifying tight ends with an overall grade of 71.5 and ranked 18th with a receiving grade of 71.1.
PFF ranking for 2025: Gesicki is ranked as the 27th best tight end in the league on a list of 32.
FURTHER ANALYSIS
Chase and Higgins are among the best receiving duos in the league, and Gesicki proved a great fit for the Bengals last year, but they need more from the rest of the group.
Iosivas excelled in the red zone and seeks more consistency in other parts of the field. Burton was more of a distraction than an asset last year as a third-round draft pick who couldn’t learn the playbook or consistently show up on time for meetings and practices. He was locked in this offseason and seems to have turned a corner but still has to prove it in games and over the course of the season.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
All that seems to be why two other teams were ranked higher by PFF for their receiving corps. The Eagles and Bucs were No. 1 and 2, respectively, while Cincinnati was third in Trevor Sikkema’s position group ranking. He included running back Chase Brown’s improvement in the passing game as another piece to the puzzle.
“The duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins does the heavy lifting for the Bengals’ receiving corps, but there are few other better pass-catching units. ...
“Chase Brown is a good receiver out of the backfield, posting a 76.8 PFF receiving grade in 2024, while Mike Gesicki had one of his better seasons with 1.55 yards per route run — his best average since 2020. Cincinnati’s team-wide 80.3 PFF receiving grade in 2024 ranked seventh in the NFL.”
In the individual rankings, Sikkema had Chase among the “Tier 1” wide receivers, No. 3 overall, noting he “excelled in several areas, but his work after the catch stood out most.” Chase gained 800 yards after the catch last season and leads all NFL receivers since 2022 in that area with 1,788 yards after the catch.
Higgins, who was 14th among the top 32 wide receivers, was recognized for posting a career-high receiving grade of 88.3 while primarily operating as an “X” receiver. Sikkema wrote that since entering the league in 2020, Higgins’ 71 contested catches rank among the top five at the position.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Cincinnati also was represented with Gesicki listed among the top 32 tight ends in the league, at 27th on PFF’s list.
“The Bengals signed Gesicki a year ago, and he earned his second-highest season-long PFF overall grade (71.5),” PFF’s John Kosko wrote. “With another season of catching passes from Joe Burrow, Gesicki is set to benefit from consistent quarterback play for the first time in his career.”
It’s a group of receivers that has every reason to be even better in 2025.
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