On Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to end their two-game losing streak as they take on the winless Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
After an impressive start to the season for Cincinnati, the Bengals desperately need to get back in the win column after dropping back-to-back close games. Fortunately, they are facing off against a team that has struggled mightily this season as the Dolphins have not had a lead at any point through their first four games of 2026.
However, Cincinnati may have to do so without one of its star wide receivers.
Cincinnati Bengals Receive Bleak Tee Higgins Injury Outlook Ahead of Week 5 Game vs. Dolphins
During the Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 4 loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars, both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins left the game with injuries. Fortunately, both receivers were able to practice on Friday, which resulted in them receiving the questionable designation for Sunday’s game.
Ja’Marr Chase — Leaning IN despite remaining in concussion protocol Tee Higgins — Leaning OUT
Here’s why…
However, former Chargers head doctor David J. Chao believed Tee Higgins will miss Cincinnati’s Week 5 game against the Dolphins. Chao said, “It’s not a matter of playing through it, if this were the Super Bowl or the playoffs. It’s a matter of making it worse to make it a more long-term injury. Adductor groin muscles are very important for acceleration, cutting, as a wide receiver he needs this. They don’t want to turn this short-term injury into a longer term injury, which is possible why at Sports Injury Central we lean more towards Ja’Marr Chase being in but Tee Higgins being out with the adductor.”
After suffering his injury in Week 4, Higgins tried to play through the injury late in the game, but could only remain in the game for one more play as he once again left the contest. With a bye week coming up after Week 5, perhaps the best move for Cincinnati is to allow Higgins’ injury to heal for a couple of weeks.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Miami Dolphins
While some may suggest that Higgins’ absence isn’t too important against an opponent such as the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor did not lean into that notion.
Taylor said of the 0-4 Miami Dolphins, “It’s early in the season, so you can’t pay attention to the record. These guys, they got a new head coach that’s kind of playing really hard. They got a really good coaching staff. They’ve got some really good cornerstones of the team that they’re building around right now. You’re absolutely right in that there are just some things in those games that have kind of shot themselves in the foot a little bit, similar to our losses, that you could be in a totally different record right now, and that conversation about you is different.”
Taylor added, “But they’re good, and if we’re not on top of it, they’re a team that can get after you when you go down there. And so our players understand that, we’ve watched the tape, so all you gotta do is watch the tape, and you see what’s there, and you can see what they’re building, and so they’ve got our attention.”
Bengals Get Bleak Tee Higgins Injury Outlook Before Dolphins Game