Tee Higgins held to 3/59 despite 33 Bengals points

Bengals HC Zac Taylor said Higgins and fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase (knee) will both be good to go for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. Higgins has been dealing with a heel/foot injury in recent weeks but will be on the field for the team’s season-opener. He profiles as a high-end WR2 in what is expected to be a high-scoring game to kick off the Bengals’ 2026 season.

The Bengals will have their top two wide receivers on the field for what should be a high-scoring game against the Buccaneers. Higgins is a high-end WR2 with WR1 upside, playing alongside WR1 Ja’Marr Chase this weekend.

Higgins has been dealing with a heel contusion recently, but the issue never seemed serious. He has still been able to practice in a limited capacity over the past week. He may ultimately be limited on the team’s first injury report of the season, but there’s almost no chance Higgins misses Week 1 versus the Bucs. He will be a boom/bust WR2 barring a setback.

Tee Higgins (heel contusion) was also spotted at practice after both players were said to be limited participants last week. The Bengals won’t release their first official injury report of the week until Wednesday, but it doesn’t sound like either Chase or Higgins is at risk of missing Week 1’s game against the Buccaneers. As usual, Chase profiles as a high-end fantasy WR1, while Higgins should be viewed more as a WR2 with WR1 upside in any given week.

We’re not viewing this as a major cause for concern; the Bengals have no reason to rush Chase back on the field after he hyperextended his knee last week. If he’s still drawing limited tags on the official injury reports next week, then we can start Panic Mode. Taylor added that Higgins (heel contusion) may also be limited this week. "(Tee) and Ja’Marr will be good at the end of the week,” said Taylor.

As has been the case in each of the past three years, injuries took their toll on Higgins and turned what would have been a good season into a rather disappointing one. He missed two games with separate concussions. Joe Burrow also spent multiple months on injured reserve with a turf toe injury. His absence briefly tanked the offense, though Joe Flacco eventually saved the day for fantasy managers when he took over for Jake Browning. Higgins finished the year with 59 grabs and 846 yards. Neither of those numbers are particularly close to his best marks, but he did bring down a career-high 11 receiving touchdowns, five of which came from Flacco. Despite the modest year, Higgins is still one of the best No. 2 receivers in the NFL, and fantasy managers will keep him in the WR2 mix when early 2026 drafts come around.

It was a disappointing statline on an afternoon where Joe Burrow cleared 300 yards in three quarters, but Higgins at least didn’t stick finals-week managers with a zero. Held under 60 in each of his two appearances since returning from his latest concussion, Higgins is closing out the year on a quiet note. That probably won’t change for a Week 18 matchup with the Browns’ elite defense.

Returning after a one-game absence with his concussion issues, Higgins dominated Jack Jones in the end zone on his nine-yard touchdown to get the scoring started in the first quarter. He was quiet after that as Chase Brown and Mike Gesicki combined for four scores, but fantasy managers got what they came for. That included Higgins escaping without further injury problems. He’s a must play, as usual, for Week 17 against the Cardinals’ awful defense.

Higgins sought extra assurance he was actually good to go after getting re-injured in Week 14 and missing Week 15, but the doctors told him what he needed to hear even with the Bengals’ playoff pursuit over. He can be treated as a borderline WR1. Inactive for the Bengals are QB Jake Browning, WR Charlie Jones, DB Brayln Lux, S P.J. Jules, EDGE Joseph Ossai, TE Noah Fant and DT Jordan Jefferson.

The Bengals also had Higgins see a concussion expert to confirm his clearance and give Higgins extra reassurance. Higgins was listed as questionable on Friday but will be active when the Bengals release their inactives. Facing a defeated Dolphins squad, Higgins should be able to create a few big plays in Week 16, keeping him in the WR2 ranks.