Cincinnati Bengals Star Wide Receiver Changes Jersey Number

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is ready to forge his own path. The team announced that the 2020 second-round pick is changing his number from 85 to 5.

That’s number 5 Tee Higgins to you. pic.twitter.com/fTdtgveLwj
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) March 29, 2023

Higgins entered the league wearing 85, one of the most storied numbers in Bengals franchise history. Wide receiver Chad Ochocinco (nee Johnson) accumulated 751 receptions for 10783 yards and 66 touchdowns for the team from 2001 to 2010, all while donning 85. Remembered just as much for his brashness as his six Pro Bowls, Ochocinco was among the biggest icons in the team's history.

Higgins embraced the expectations and legacy of the 85 number to begin his career, but now that he has his feet under him and is flourishing into a star in his own right, it makes a certain amount of sense to change things up. He has notched 1000 yards in consecutive seasons, and at his current rate, he has a chance to break some of those notable franchise records Ochocinco set. By switching numbers, Higgins will probably spare the history books some confusion.