Tee

Higgins

Higgins has suffered at least seven recorded hamstring injuries in his playing career and is scheduled to hit free agency once the 2024 season wraps up, potentially providing extra motivation to deal with his nagging soft tissue issues. When speaking with reporters today, Higgins specifically brought up Christian Watson’s successful 2024 offseason in which Watson spent time at the University of Wisconsin undergoing rigorous testing and creating a prophylactic training program to address his own recurring hamstring issues. Watson had strained his right hamstring four times in two seasons. He’s missed one game thus far this season, due to a sprained ankle. Following Watson’s lead could significantly pay off down the road for Higgins.

The Bengals clearly liked the matchup with Higgins against Joey Porter Jr., and Joe Burrow attacked Porter Jr. relentlessly. In addition to Higgins’ statline, the Bengals also drew five penalties on Porter Jr. to set up even more points. Higgins is still the second receiver on the Bengals despite the target share today, but he should be a locked-in WR2 in fantasy next week against the Cowboys.

Higgins returned from a three-game absence to nearly double the yardage of the next pass-catcher in the offense, with Ja’Marr Chase checking in with 75 yards and two touchdowns. The Bengals fall to 4-7 with the loss and now find their backs against the wall as they struggle to stay alive in the AFC playoff picture, with next week’s meeting with the Steelers likely determining their season. The Bengals continue to lead the league in pass rate over expectation, something that is likely to keep both primary pass-catchers in Cincinnati fed with volume the remainder of the season.

Just hours after head coach Zac Taylor said he expected Higgins to play in Week 11, the team made things a little clearer by removing Higgins from the injury report altogether. Higgins has missed the last three games while dealing with a quad injury he suffered in practice, but is set to return to an explosive Bengals offense that’s fourth in passing yards per game and first in touchdown passes. Higgins will be a fringe WR2/WR3 against a stout Chargers defense in what feels like a must-win game for the Bengals.

Higgins will suit up for the first time since Week 7 after missing the last three games with his quad injury. The veteran receiver has been limited in practice all week, but the team is hopeful that he’s healthy enough to go against a stout Chargers defense. When active, Higgins has been solid for the Bengals. He’e caught 29 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns this season and is the WR11 in fantasy points per game (16.2) in PPR leagues. Assuming he’s playing at full strength, Higgins will fall somewhere in the range of WR2/WR3 on Sunday.

Higgins has been limited through two practices this week. He’s far from a lock to suit up in Week 11 against the Chargers, but Higgins is trending in the right direction with one practice left to go in the week. If he can get on the field Friday, he should have a good chance of suiting up against a stout Chargers defense that’s allowed the fewest points of any team in the league through the first 10 weeks.

Higgins has been unable to practice since injuring his quad on October 25th so his Wednesday return bodes positively for his Sunday Night Football availability. It remains to be seen whether Ja’Marr Chase’s explosive Week 10 showing will relegate Higgins to the No. 2 role once and for all but Higgins has reliably commanded targets playing alongside Chase for some time. He can be started as a WR2/3, if active.

Higgins and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (knee/fibula), who Taylor also called day-to-day, both participated in walkthroughs on Monday, but Taylor said we shouldn’t read too much into that. If Higgins is truly day-to-day, then it sounds like he’ll have a chance to suit up in Week 11 against the Chargers. That said, we wouldn’t read too much into his availability until we get a look at Wednesday’s injury report. Higgins has missed the last two games due to his quad injury, which has resulted in an uptick in targets for Mike Gesicki.

Higgins was always expected to remain sidelined after failing to get in a practice on the short week. Higgins isn’t exactly known as a quick healer, but 10 days hence against the Chargers could be realistic after he at least got a “doubtful” tag as opposed to an immediate rule-out this week. Joining Higgins on the shelf are LT Orlando Brown, WR Charlie Jones, RB Kendall Milton, EDGE Cedric Johnson and TE Tanner McLachlan.

Higgins did not practice this week and is set to miss Cincinnati’s second matchup with the Ravens. It will be his third game sidelined because of the quad injury. Mike Gesicki has operated as the Bengals’ de facto No. 2 receiver in his absence. The veteran tight end caught five passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns last week. He will remain in the TE1 ranks for a potential shootout with Baltimore. Andrei Iosivas is running plenty of routes sans Higgins but is nothing more than a touchdown-or-bust WR5.