Will Tee Higgins play this week? Bengals get bad news ahead of Week 9 showdown vs Raiders
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins missed the team's Week 8 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Higgins practiced on a limited basis last week as he was dealing with a quad injury.
Higgins injured his quad during last Friday's practice, two days removed from their Week 8 game. As the Bengals prepare to face the Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday, Higgins could be out for the second week in a row.
Ben Baby, an ESPN reporter who covers the Bengals, tweeted Friday morning that Higgins and offensive lineman Orlando Brown were both absent from the team's Friday practice. Both Higgins and Brown have missed their third consecutive practice.
"Bengals WR Tee Higgins and OL Orlando Brown not practicing today. Set for a full week of DNP," Baby tweeted.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor will speak with the media following Friday's practice and is expected to provide updates on the players who missed practice today.
As of now, it sounds like the Bengals may be without Tee Higgins and Orlando Brown for Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Tee Higgins is set to become a free agent next off-season
Tee Higgins has been a valuable piece to Cincinnati's offense since being drafted by the team in 2020. Though he hasn't been selected for a Pro Bowl, Higgins put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
In four seasons and counting, Higgins has totaled 286 catches for 4,025 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Higgins was set to become a free agent this offseason, but the Bengals utilized their franchise tag to retain him with the team for the season. Higgins hasn't done himself any favors by being hurt many times this season, especially since he is set to be a free agency the next season.
Higgins missed the first two games this season after suffering a hamstring injury in practice leading up to their season opener. Higgins then suffered a quadricep strain during the team's practice in Week 8, which forced him out of last week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In five games played this season, Higgins has caught 29 receptions for 341 yards and three touchdowns.