This week, the Cincinnati Bengals made Ja’marr Chase and Tee Higgins the highest-paid wide receiver duo in NFL history. At just 25 and 26 years old respectively, they have plenty of time to cement themselves as one of the best duos to ever play the game. For now, that honor belongs to these five all-time great WR duos.
Arizona Cardinals wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin were one of the toughest duos in NFL history.
Fitzgerald was a big-bodied receiver who regularly used his size to make high-point and acrobatic contested catches amidst multiple defenders. His route running and hands were great, but his body control stood out. He was able to make the most complicated movements and in-air adjustments seem natural and effortless.
Boldin, on the other hand, played with a violent physicality and did a lot of his damage after the catch. A slant route to Boldin was virtually undefendable, due to his ability to make contested catches and to drag defenders with him as he churned forward for additional yards.
This duo consistently produced at a high level, combining for 1109 receptions, 14,587 yards, and 103 touchdowns in the six seasons before Boldin was traded to the Baltimore Ravens.
St. Louis Rams wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt were two key contributors of The Greatest Show on Turf. They are also the most productive WR duo in NFL history.
Bruce was a small-bodied receiver, but his long speed, precise route running, and ability to separate from defenders made him a consistent big-play threat.
Holt was the more physically gifted of the tandem. He was bigger, faster, and more explosive, and he was a great route runner in his own right.
Together, they amassed a staggering 1,435 receptions, 21,310 receiving yards, and 126 touchdowns in nine seasons.
Despite their incredible production, they were often overshadowed by the dominance of running back Marshall Faulk, who won three straight Offensive Player of the Year awards, and the 2000 MVP.
Indianapolis Colts wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne were an extremely reliable duo for the Peyton Manning-led offense.
Harrison was a speedster, and paired with his quick release off the line, he was able to beat press coverage and get separation with ease. He was a savvy route runner and had strong hands. The thing that really made him special though, was his amazing chemistry with his quarterback—they were always on the same page.
Wayne wasn’t particularly fast, but he was a precise route-runner. He had sensational focus at the catch point, frequently making fingertip catches and catches off schedule. He was also great after the catch, and regularly turned intermediate routes into long TDs.
The duo combined for an impressive 1,265 receptions, 17,155 receiving yards, and 134 touchdowns during their 8 seasons together.
It may be surprising to see San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice’s name tethered to Terrell Owens instead of the sensational John Taylor, but Rice and Owens were the duo that defenses feared most.
Rice’s precise route-running, dependable hands, and ability to run after catch made him great. His work ethic and attention to the craft made him the greatest of all time.
No player had a better understanding of the position, and Rice used this to leverage the defense and create separation on nearly every play.
Owens’s size and physicality made him a matchup nightmare from the moment he entered the league. He was able to bring down balls while getting walloped, oftentimes staying upright and fighting for extra yards in the process.
Rice left for the Oakland Raiders in 2001 when Owens was just beginning to emerge as the dominant force he would eventually become. Otherwise, this duo would likely have been number one on this list.
During their five years together they combined for 658 catches, 8882 yards, and 73 touchdowns.
Minnesota Vikings wide receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter weren’t together long, but while it lasted, they were the most unstoppable duo to ever play the game.
Moss, unlike most of the players on this list, wasn’t an exceptional route-runner. The thing that made him great was his rare combination of size and speed.
Moss ran a 4.25 40-yard dash, and he somehow seemed to play the game even faster. There wasn’t a defender in the league that could keep up with him. There are countless examples of him getting open downfield without even making a move on the defender—he simply runs right past the cornerbacks and safeties.
Moss was great at tracking the ball in the air, adjusting his speed, and contorting his body to make seemingly impossible catches. He also used his size to work through or over defenders to make contested catches and come down with jump balls.
Carter wasn’t physically gifted the way Moss was, but what he lacked in this regard, he more than made up for with his incredible hands. He was reliable and made sensational one-handed catches a weekly occurrence.
Carter’s awareness and understanding of the position were rivaled by few others. He always knew exactly where he was on the field, and he was the first NFL receiver to really master the art of the sideline and back-of-the-endzone toe-tap.
The Moss-Carter duo’s ability to make difficult catches gave the Vikings—and their quarterbacks—the green light to sling the ball around without caution, and defenses had zero answers for it.
Despite only playing four seasons together, this duo combined for 645 catches, 9793 yards, and 93 touchdowns.
Bengals WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are the best active duo in the NFL and when the dust settles, they may be considered one of the all-time greats. For now, these five historic WR duos have left them with big shoes to fill.
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