Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is changing jersey numbers this season.
The Bengals announced today that Higgins will wear No. 5 going forward.
Higgins, who wore No. 5 at Clemson, has worn No. 85 for the Bengals since they drafted him in 2020. When he entered the league, wide receivers couldn’t wear single-digit jersey numbers, but the NFL has since loosened the jersey number rules.
Players who change jersey numbers have to buy up the jerseys that are already for sale in stores, but if players declare their intention to change jerseys a year in advance they don’t have to pay, which may be why Higgins is just now deciding to change to No. 5.