Heading into the Cincinnati Bengals’ pivotal Week 2 trip to the Kansas City Chiefs, there’s a great chance that the offense will be without one of its star receivers again. Ja’Marr Chase has decided to suit up despite not getting that massive contract extension he has been fighting for. His running mate, Tee Higgins, has not been on the field for a while now. On September 5, the fifth-year receiver popped up on the Injury Report with another hamstring designation.
He ultimately ended up missing the Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots. This is his sixth hamstring issue dating back to his time at Clemson, so his missing time is not new. However, Higgins was also marred in contract negotiations this offseason and was slapped with the Franchise Tag. He waited a while to get it signed but signed it nonetheless.
Due to that contract negotiation that broke down — or, considering the Bengals did not make much of an effort to get him re-signed, you could say the negotiations just did not take place with the Franchise Tag looming — pessimistic fans assert that Higgins’ hamstring issue is not actually affecting him. Could the star receiver be milking an injury due to his contract issues? Or, and put your tinfoil hat on, is he doing this to support Chase to put pressure on the team to lock him down long-term?
No. No to both.
Tee Higgins Responds to Asinine Fan Concerns
In an interview with ESPN‘s Ben Baby, Higgins addressed fan concerns regarding his injury.
“I just don’t understand why fans think I’m faking an injury, when for me to get an extension for a contract, the deadline is over,” Higgins told ESPN. “I just don’t understand why they think I’m faking an injury. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“I prepare myself to go out here and dominate, start of Week 1,” Higgins told ESPN on Thursday. “Unfortunately, four days before the game, I have a hamstring tweak that I didn’t think was as bad, so I made the comments I did after [practice].
“I want to go out there and give my teammates a hundred percent of Tee Higgins, you know what I’m saying?” Higgins continued. “I don’t want to give them 50% and half-ass it just to be a presence on the field.”
It has been a thing with Higgins and that hamstring. Last year, he was sidelined for three games for Weeks 10-12. Those were all losses to the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens (when Joe Burrow got injured), and Pittsburgh Steelers. Needless to say, the Bengals could have used Higgins in those games and he would not have sat out if he didn’t have to.
Higgins is Important to Cincinnati
To date, the Bengals have listed Higgins as Inactive nine times. Those games were:
- 2021 Week 3: Pittsburgh Steelers (W, 24-10)
- 2021 Week 4: Jacksonville Jaguars (W, 24-21)
- 2022 Week 18: Cleveland Browns (L 21-16)
- 2023 Week 5: Arizona Cardinals (W, 34-20)
- 2023 Week 10: Houston Texans (L, 30-27)
- 2023 Week 11: Baltimore Ravens (L, 34-20)
- 2023 Week 12: Pittsburgh Steelers (L, 16-10)
- 2023 Week 18: Cleveland Browns (W, 31-14)
- 2024 Week 1: New England Patriots (L, 16-10)
The team is 4-5 without Higgins. Now, Week 2 looms with the back-to-back Super Bowl champions who took down the perceived second-best AFC team in Week 1.
Higgins is set to make an obscene amount of money in next year’s free agency frenzy as the top wide receiver hitting the market. He’s amassed 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns over his four-year career with two 1,000-yard seasons despite being second-fiddle to Chase.
The Bengals have shown a proclivity to starting incredibly slow in Zac Taylor’s tenure. The team is 1-10 in Week 1 and Week 2. In Week 2, he’s 0-5 to this point. Needless to say, the offense needs Higgins out there.
Assuming or accusing that he’s sitting out or faking the injury is asinine.
Main Image: Cara Owsley/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
