Tee Higgins’ Long History of Hamstring Injuries Continues, Availability in Doubt for Bengals Opener

CINCINNATI – Tee Higgins’ surprise Thursday addition to the injury report with a hamstring issue appears to be more than he let on after yesterday’s practice, as the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver was not present at today’s practice during the portion open to the media.

Just a day earlier, Higgins said everything was great despite leaving practice with a hamstring injury, something that wasn’t made public until the injury report came out less than an hour later.

Tee Higgins Dealing With 6th Hamstring Injury in 5 Seasons With Bengals

“It’s definitely the best I’ve felt going into Week 1,” Higgins told reporters. “I’m physically fine and mentally ready. I feel amazing. I’m just ready to go.”

He may not go at all.

The Bengals listed Higgins as “questionable” on the injury report. Head coach Zac Taylor could only offer a “we’ll see” when asked about Higgins’ status after practice.

What might be the most troubling part about the injury is that it’s been a recurring issue with Higgins dating all the way back to college. During his 4+ seasons with the Bengals, he has either missed time or appeared on the injury report six times with a hamstring injury.

It began during the training camp of his rookie season. Later that year, he was limited all three days in practice in December, but he fought through it and played in the game against the Dallas Cowboys that week.

Three weeks later, Higgins was back on the injury report due to the hamstring, going limited in the first two practices of the week.

He tried to play in the season finale against the Ravens, needing just 92 yards to reach 1,000 for the season, but three snaps into the game he hurt it further to the point where he couldn’t continue the game.

In Dec. 2022, he showed up as a surprise Thursday limited ahead of a game against the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals listed him as questionable, and Higgins went though pregame warmups, but he re-aggravated the issue and only played one snap in the game.

He had several limited practices each of the next two weeks but played in both games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots.

Last year he suffered a rib injury in Week 4 at Tennessee and missed the second half and the following game at Arizona. Then another hamstring issue showed up in Week 10, one he couldn’t play through as Higgins missed three games. A few weeks later, he re-injured it at Kansas City and missed the Week 18 finale against Cleveland.

It’s a troubling history for a player hoping to secure a big contract in free agency after playing 2024 on the franchise tag for $21.8 million.

Fellow wide receiver and big contract seeker Ja’Marr Chase is listed as questionable due to the fact he just returned to practice this week from his contract hold in. Chase spoke to reporters today for the first time since last season, and he said he plans to play with or without a new contract. But he also called himself a game-time decision.

The Bengals listed Chase as a limited participant in practice Wednesday and Thursday before going full today.

If Higgins and Chase both don’t play, the starting receivers would be Andrei Iosivas, Trenton Irwin, and Charlie Jones, with rookie third-round pick Jermaine Burton backing them up. If both Chase and Higgins are out, the Bengals would activate Shedrick Jackson and/or Kendric Pryor from the practice squad.

Rookie first-round offensive tackle Amarius Mims is out with the pectoral injury he suffered in the preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And rookie second-round defensive tackle Kris Jenkins is out due to a thumb injury that will require surgery.