Tee Higgins Bio
Tamaurice William “Tee” Higgins is an American professional football wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). Born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, he rose from a five-star high school recruit to a national champion at Clemson University before being selected by the Bengals with the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and playing at roughly 220 pounds, Higgins has become one of the central figures of the Bengals’ offense.
Across his first five NFL seasons, Higgins has produced multiple 1,000-yard receiving campaigns and helped Cincinnati reach Super Bowl LVI following the 2021 season. In March 2025, he signed a four-year, $115 million contract extension, cementing his role as a long-term building block for the franchise.
Early Life and Background
Tamaurice William Higgins was born on January 18, 1999, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He grew up in the same community where he would later attend Oak Ridge High School, developing into one of the most decorated high school football players in the state. Higgins also played basketball and drew scholarship offers from multiple college basketball programs, a sign of the all-around athleticism that would later translate to his football career.
As a senior at Oak Ridge, Higgins recorded 68 receptions for 1,044 yards and 18 touchdowns, performance that pushed him into five-star recruit territory. He originally committed to the University of Tennessee before flipping his pledge to Clemson University, where he would go on to win a College Football Playoff National Championship as a sophomore.
Path to American Football
Higgins arrived at Clemson in 2017 as a highly regarded freshman and immediately contributed to the Tigers’ offense. Playing in 13 games, he posted 17 receptions for 345 yards and two touchdowns, giving the program a glimpse of his future as a perimeter playmaker.
His path accelerated in his sophomore season of 2018, when he entered the year as a starter and helped Clemson capture the College Football Playoff National Championship with a 44-16 victory over Alabama. Higgins finished that campaign with 59 receptions for 936 yards and 12 touchdowns, earning second-team All-ACC honors. He followed it with a junior season of 1,167 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, again reaching the national title game before Clemson fell to LSU. After that 14-1 season, Higgins declared for the 2020 NFL draft.
Tee Higgins Career
Early Career (2020)
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Higgins with the 33rd overall pick, the first selection of the second round, in the 2020 NFL draft. On July 28, 2020, he signed his rookie contract, a four-year deal worth $8.6 million, and quickly carved out a role in the offense.
Higgins debuted in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers, recorded his first three receptions against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2, and scored his first two professional touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3. He closed his rookie year with 67 receptions for 908 yards and six touchdowns, tying Cris Collinsworth’s Bengals rookie reception record set in 1981. His 908 receiving yards ranked third among all NFL rookies that season.
NFL Breakthrough (2021-2022)
In his second season, Higgins elevated his production and helped lead the Bengals on a memorable postseason run. He posted 74 receptions for 1,091 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games, including a 12-catch, 194-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16.
Cincinnati’s playoff march carried Higgins to his first Super Bowl. In the Divisional Round win over the Tennessee Titans, he added seven receptions for 96 yards, then caught six passes for 103 yards in the AFC Championship victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. In Super Bowl LVI against the Rams, Higgins led all players with 100 receiving yards and scored two touchdowns in a narrow 23-20 defeat. He followed that with another 1,000-yard season in 2022, finishing with 74 receptions for 1,029 yards and seven touchdowns, and added a touchdown in the AFC Championship against Kansas City.
Cincinnati Bengals Era (2023-Present)
Higgins’ 2023 campaign was slowed by injuries, including a Week 4 rib issue and a hamstring injury sustained in practice in November. He still produced his first 100-yard game of the season in Week 9 with eight catches for 110 yards against the Bills, but finished with career lows of 42 receptions for 656 yards and five touchdowns.
In February 2024, the Bengals placed the franchise tag on Higgins, and he later signed a one-year deal in June. He missed the first two games of the 2024 season with a hamstring injury before returning in Week 3 against Washington, then posted nine catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 5 loss to Baltimore. On March 3, 2025, the Bengals placed the franchise tag on him for a second consecutive year, and he signed a four-year, $115 million contract extension two weeks later.
Driving Style and Strengths
At 6 feet 4 inches and around 220 pounds, Higgins combines the size to win contested catches with the route-running savvy to separate against man coverage. He has been particularly effective on intermediate and deep routes, using his frame to shield defenders and finish through contact, while also providing a reliable red-zone target for Cincinnati’s quarterbacks.
Notable Events and Milestones
Higgins’ career includes a College Football Playoff National Championship with Clemson, a Bengals rookie reception record, two 1,000-yard NFL seasons, and a Super Bowl appearance. The Week 17, 2022 game against Buffalo was halted after his tackle of Damar Hamlin caused commotio cordis, a moment Higgins addressed publicly as Hamlin recovered and returned to football the following season.
Tee Higgins Career Wins
Team success has been a recurring theme of Higgins’ career. At Clemson, he was part of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship team, and with Cincinnati he has helped the Bengals reach two AFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl.
NFL Highlights
Higgins owns a Super Bowl LVI appearance with 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and two AFC Championship Game appearances. He has topped 1,000 receiving yards in two NFL seasons, 2021 and 2022, and set a Bengals rookie reception record in 2020 with 67 catches.
Other Wins & Performances
Before the NFL, Higgins was a second-team All-ACC selection in 2018 and a first-team All-ACC pick in 2019, capping his Clemson career with a 14-1 record and a return trip to the national championship game. His senior high school totals of 68 receptions for 1,044 yards and 18 touchdowns established him as one of Tennessee’s top recruits.
Tee Higgins Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Higgins grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where his family ties remain rooted in the local community that produced his high school success at Oak Ridge High School.
Personal Life
Known publicly by the nickname “Tee,” a shortened form of his given name Tamaurice, Higgins maintains an active presence on social media and is recognized as one of the Bengals’ most recognizable young stars.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025, Higgins secured his long-term future with the Bengals by signing a four-year, $115 million contract extension in March, shortly after the team placed the franchise tag on him for a second straight year. The deal underscored Cincinnati’s commitment to keeping its trio of playmakers intact.
After a 2024 season interrupted by a slow start due to a hamstring injury, Higgins showed his usual big-play ability once healthy, highlighted by a two-touchdown game against Baltimore. He will be expected to return to 1,000-yard form while continuing his role as a primary downfield weapon in the Bengals’ passing attack.
With quarterback Joe Burrow healthy and Higgins locked in, Cincinnati’s 2025 outlook centers on competing for the AFC North title and another deep playoff run. Higgins’ production, leadership, and red-zone presence figure to be central to those ambitions.