Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Friday that Higgins (hamstring) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer and Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic report.
Higgins, who was unable to practice this week, thus is trending toward missing his second game in a row. Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin are expected to see expanded snaps alongside top wideout Ja'Marr Chase in Week 2.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Not practicing Wednesday
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Higgins (hamstring) isn't participating in Wednesday's practice, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Per Ben Baby of ESPN.com, head coach Zac Taylor noted earlier Wednesday that Higgins is making progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury, but it didn't translate to the wideout taking reps in the Bengals' first Week 2 practice. The Bengals are still viewing Higgins as day-to-day, but he'll need to get back on the practice field in some capacity Thursday and/or Friday to have a shot at avoiding a second straight missed game Sunday versus the Chiefs.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Making progress
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Head coach Zac Taylor said Wednesday that Higgins is making progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.
Per Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer, Taylor labeled Higgins as day-to-day as Sunday's game against the Chiefs approaches. A clearer picture of Higgins' availability for the Week 2 contest should arrive based on the extent of his participation in practices Wednesday through Friday.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Inactive Sunday
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Higgins (hamstring) is inactive for Sunday's game versus the Patriots.
After being added to the Bengals' injury report Thursday as limited with a hamstring issue, Higgins didn't practice Friday and was deemed doubtful for Sunday's contest. With Higgins unavailable, some combination of Andrei Iosivas, Trenton Irwin, Charlie Jones and Jermaine Burton are positioned to see added work versus New England alongside Ja'Marr Chase (illness), who is listed as active, but figures to have his Week 1 workload somewhat limited. Higgins will target a potential return to action Sept. 15 against the Chiefs.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Status in doubt for Week 1
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Higgins (hamstring) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game versus the Patriots.
Higgins made an appearance on the Bengals' Week 1 injury report Thursday as limited due to a hamstring issue, which didn't allow him to practice at all Friday, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. Coach Zac Taylor told Geoff Hobson of the team's official site, "We'll see," when asked about the status of Higgins and fellow WR Ja'Marr Chase (non-injury related/rest) for Sunday's contest. With Higgins unlikely to suit up and Chase listed as questionable, there's a chance QB Joe Burrow will be without his top two options at the position this weekend. In such a scenario, Andrei Iosivas and rookie Jermaine Burton would be thrust into larger roles in Cincinnati's offense.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Not seen at walkthrough
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Higgins (hamstring) wasn't spotted during the initial stage of Friday's walkthrough, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
Higgins was added to the Bengals' Week 1 injury report after being limited Thursday by a hamstring issue. Friday's official practice/injury report will provide further context with regard to his status, but either way this is a situation to monitor, especially given the uncertainty surrounding fellow WR Ja'Marr Chase ahead of Sunday's game against the Patriots.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Not suiting up Thursday
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Higgins isn't in line to play in Thursday's preseason game against the Colts, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Higgins thus will make just one appearance during exhibition season, having hauled in two of three targets for 19 yards and a touchdown from QB Joe Burrow back in preseason Week 1 versus the Buccaneers. Fellow WR Ja'Marr Chase returned to the Bengals' facility Monday after he was away from the team for most of the previous week due to his ongoing contract dispute. It doesn't seem likely that the situation will linger into the regular season, but if it does, Higgins would be the clear-cut top pass catcher in Cincinnati's offense for as long as Chase doesn't suit up.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Won't sign extension
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Higgins and the Bengals will not agree to a contract extension by Monday's deadline, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Higgins signed his franchise tag in mid-June and will play on that tag this year before likely becoming a free agent in the 2025 offseason. Per Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site, it's possible the Bengals could franchise-tag Higgins again or work on a tag-and-trade scenario, though it's likely that this will be his final season as a Bengal. Higgins missed five games last season due to injuries but racked up over 1,000 receiving yards in both of the prior two campaigns.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Not at OTAs, as expected
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Higgins and teammate Ja'Marr Chase are not present at voluntary OTAs on Tuesday, Ben Baby of ESPN reports.
Higgins still hasn't signed the franchise tag Cincinnati placed on him back in February, and with Chase also eligible for an extension, both of the Bengals' top wideouts appear to be vying for new deals. Until Higgins signs the franchise tag, he won't be eligible to report for organized team activities. He formally requested a trade after having the franchise tag placed on him but has since indicated he anticipates suiting up for the Bengals for the 2024 season, and coach Zac Taylor plainly stated that he's not worried about the absence of either Higgins or Chase at this time.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Not expected for start of OTAs
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Higgins is not expected to sign his franchise tender by the end of the week, which will make him ineligible to report in time for the start of OTAs next week, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Higgins formally requested a trade from Cincinnati after the team placed the franchise tag on him prior to free agency. He appeared to have a change of heart in April, as the wideout hinted that he anticipated playing for the Bengals in 2024 at his youth camp, per Ben Baby of ESPN.com. It remains to be seen if that will occur via the franchise tag or the long-term extension the pass catcher has been seeking. As of now, it looks like this conflict will linger into OTAs.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Expected to receive franchise tag
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The Bengals informed Higgins (hamstring) on Friday that he will receive the franchise tag, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
With the tag deadline still a week away, the Bengals have skipped negotiations for a long-term deal by letting Higgins know he will be franchised. A new contract still is a possibility, but this is apparently the most likely route as of now. The 25-year-old battled injuries during his fourth season in Cincinnati en route to career lows in yards (656) and touchdowns (five) in 12 games.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Won't play Sunday
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Higgins (hamstring) is inactive for Sunday's season finale against the Browns.
With the Bengals eliminated from playoff contention, Higgins will sit this one out, thus finishing his 2023 campaign with 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns on 76 targets in 12 games. The 2020 second-rounder is eligible for free agency this offseason and his contract situation with the franchise will be something to monitor in the coming months. In his absence Sunday, added Week 18 snaps alongside Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd will be available for Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas, Charlie Jones and Stanley Morgan.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Misses practice Wednesday
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Higgins (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.
Baby previously noted that both Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) were spotted in uniform stretching prior to the session, but Higgins was ultimately deemed a non-participant, while Chase was a limited participant. Higgins now has two more chances to practice ahead of Sunday's season finale against the Browns, and he'll presumably need to upgrade to full activity by Friday in order to avoid a Week 18 injury designation.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Limited by injury in Week 17
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Higgins recorded one reception on two targets for 19 yards in Sunday's 25-17 loss to the Chiefs.
Higgins made a 19-yard reception on the Bengals' first possession, but he was held out of the game for a lengthy period of time due to a hamstring injury. While he was able to re-enter the contest, it's doubtful he was playing at close to full health. That puts him in a questionable position to take the field in a Week 18 matchup against the Browns, particularly with the Bengals eliminated from playoff contention.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Injures hamstring Sunday
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Higgins was forced out of Sunday's game against the Chiefs with a left hamstring injury.
Prior to his exit from the contest, Higgins caught his only target for 19 yards. In his absence, Tyler Boyd, Andrei Iosivas, Trenton Irwin and Charlie Jones are available to handle wide receiver snaps behind top option Ja'Marr Chase.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Scores 80-yard TD in loss
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Higgins caught five of eight targets for 140 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 34-11 loss to the Steelers.
Higgins had just two targets in the first half. He caught one for a 23-yard gain, and the other fell incomplete in the end zone on fourth-and-1 from the 5-yard line. Higgins' third target came on Cincinnati's first offensive play after halftime, and he took it to the house for an 80-yard touchdown. That was the start of a strong second half from Higgins, which was too little, too late for the Bengals, who dropped to 8-7 heading into a difficult Week 16 road matchup against the Chiefs. It remains to be seen if Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) will be available to reclaim his starting role opposite Higgins in Kansas City after missing Saturday's loss.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Jake Browning came alive last week because he started pelting Higgins with targets, pushing his passing metrics to new season-highs while Higgins himself reaped a near-30% target share in the fourth quarter and overtime (some of that with Ja'Marr Chase on the field). Chase is out for at least one game, paving the way for Higgins to be the Bengals' top receiver. While it's possible, if not likely, for Joey Porter Jr. to shadow Higgins in coverage, it's definite that the Steelers will start two new safeties. Higgins is also the big-bodied type of receiver who can pull down contested catches against anybody. Really it's the opportunity to see a ton of targets from a better-than-expected quarterback that gives Higgins appeal as a WR2 ahead of Terry McLaurin, Zay Flowers and any Steelers WR.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: WRs to Start
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If Higgins wants to get a big contract this offseason, then this is a great week to prove himself as an impending free agent. With Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) not expected to play in Week 16 at Pittsburgh, Higgins can show he's an alpha receiver with a strong outing as the No. 1 guy. He looked the part in Week 15 against Minnesota in the game where Chase was injured with four catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns on eight targets. He now has five games this season with at least eight targets, and he scored at least 19 PPR points in three of them. The Steelers secondary is beat up with both safeties out in Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) and Domatnae Kazee (suspension), and Jake Browning should lean on Higgins in this matchup. He's worth starting as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: WRs to Sit
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In his first game back in Week 13 at Jacksonville after missing three outings with a hamstring injury, Higgins had three catches for 36 yards on three targets. We'll see if things improve in Week 14 against the Colts, but I would only start Ja'Marr Chase in the Bengals passing game right now. Even though Jake Browning looked better against the Jaguars than he did against the Steelers in Week 12, it's still tough to expect him to support two receivers to a high level. And Higgins, even with Joe Burrow (wrist) this season, struggled with just three games with double digits in PPR and one game with a touchdown. Higgins is only worth starting in three-receiver leagues.
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Bengals' Tee Higgins: Returns to practice Thursday
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Higgins (hamstring) was on the field in full uniform for Thursday's practice, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
Higgins hadn't practiced in any capacity since Nov. 8, when he was listed as a limited participant for that session before being listed on the injury report as a non-participant for the Bengals' next eight practices. He's missed three straight games along the way, but after getting back on the field Thursday, Higgins is taking a step toward a potential return to action this Monday against the Jaguars. The extent of Higgins' practice participation will be revealed later Thursday, but if he's able to take full reps at some point within the next three days, he should get the green light to play Week 13. If available in Jacksonville, Higgins will be on the receiving end of passes from new starting quarterback Jake Browning for the first time, as Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury Week 11 while Higgins was sidelined.
