CINCINNATI — Tee Higgins is protecting himself.
The wide receiver hasn’t played since the Bengals beat the Buffalo Bills on Nov. 6. He pulled his hamstring during practice three days later and the Bengals haven’t won since.
There’s no doubting his significance to the Bengals offense or that the Bengals are a better team with him on the field.
“Tee’s one of the top receivers in the NFL. I don’t really think you can put into words how important he is to this offense.” Jake Browning told me about the receiver’s potential return from a three-game hiatus due to the injury.
But the 24-year-old is entering his prime and right now is not signed for 2024. He needs to protect himself and no one inside Paycor – quarterback, teammate or coach – is holding that against him.
“No, man, my health is way more important than any other (factor),” Higgins said. “So my thing was I want to get healthy so I can be 100 percent to go out there and you know play at 100 percent to help my team, you know, come out with a W.
“I definitely don’t want to push myself too soon to where I go out there have a setback. So I feel like I’m a 100 percent. I’m still easing my way in and just trying to get back into rhythm.”
“That’s the plan. That’s the plan, for sure” Tee Higgins, who says he had no limitations Thursday at Bengals practice and plans to play Monday night. pic.twitter.com/56G2Scoc84
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 30, 2023
As for any outside critics of Higgins and his plan to play it safe, the wide receiver just laughs it off.
“Actually not having heard that or seen it but I mean, I’m pretty sure people have been talking like that but it’s cool,” Higgins said. “My health is way more important the what other people have their opinion on me. But I’m here and my only thing is I always want to help this team and I’m glad I’m here and I’m glad I’m healthy so.”
For the first time since Nov. 9 Higgins was on the field Thursday practicing with his teammates.
“Feels good to be back on the field with the guys,” Higgins said. “Obviously it’s frustrating with the injuries and stuff. But you know anytime I can get out there with the guys and you know help the team get a ‘W’ that’s that’s all I ask for something.”
“Tee’s one of the top receivers in the NFL. Don’t really think you can put into words how important he is to this offense.” Jake Browning hoping for Tee Higgins return Monday night. pic.twitter.com/FrGp19jjAC
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 30, 2023
Higgins spoke Thursday about what happened during practice when he initially suffered the injury.
“Yeah, it was one of those ones is deep ball and (I) overstrided it and things like that happen,” Higgins said. “I didn’t I thought it was just could have been like a little strain or something like that. But I obviously went in and got the pictures and it was a little worse than we thought.
“I think this might have been one of the worst ones. Obviously, my my rookie year. It was a bad one, but that was the last game of the season. So I am really miss no time, but it’s probably equivalent to that.”
Will he play Monday?
“That’s the plan for sure,” Higgins said.
The Bengals center and offensive captain has had enough. He’s seen the Bengals lose three straight for the first time in his time in Cincinnati. Yes, the Bengals have lost their star quarterback but Karras believes that’s no excuse for playing the way the offense has and failing in so many big moments in the last three weeks.
“I’m just a little angry. So yeah, that’s how I like to play a little bit sometimes,” Karras said. “I think we need to win just to get a win man. Our job is to come in to help this team win ball games. So we’ve been on a skid here and no one loves that. It was a nice edgy Thursday, so we’re bringing the energy. And we’ve got a big primetime game against a team fighting for the 1 seed in this conference. So it’ll be nice to go knock them off Monday Night Football.”
“The pressure is on to win… we’re going to go out and win a game on Monday Night Football.” Ted Karras feels confident Jake Browning can handle the pressure of a high stakes game Monday. pic.twitter.com/iWOXG45mpN
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 30, 2023
Karras has a good feeling heading into Monday night in Jacksonville in Jake Browning’s second game as quarterback, despite the fact that the Bengals are 8.5-point underdogs and without their starting quarterback for the rest of the season.
“Whatever it is, it felt different than last week,” Karras said of Browning’s second week running practice. “Just having that game behind him. It felt a lot more comfortable and smooth today. Did you get that sense from him that little different from the last one? I think just in general we executed better just all 11 guys. So it was just a smoother better practice guys came to work, you know proud of the way this team is handling themselves. We’re gonna find out a lot about ourselves these next six weeks.
“They have a lot of guys and they play a ton of D lineman. They have a lot of good players up front. So we’re gonna have our work cut out for us and we need to go down there and show we can run the ball.”
Karras said Thursday that the Bengals will be in silent count to allow backup quarterback Jake Browning to handle a loud crowd Monday night.
“We’ll be in silent operation to start and Jacksonville,” Karras said. “So we’ll see how that goes and kind of play it by ear, but Jake’s got a great cadence and we’ve got so many reps with him in camp and now a full game at home. So I’m not worried about that at all.
Karras can see the different in Browning between training camp practices and the game reps he’s getting now.
“The stakes are higher,” Karras told me. “The pressure’s on to win and we need to get a win, obviously. I think he’s grown a lot. He’s got game action now. We’re going to go out and win a game on Monday Night Football.”
