The Cincinnati Bengals are about a week and a half away from the start of their season, when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 13th. With such little time before Week 1, it’s no secret that injury concerns are starting to add up for the Bengals.
The latest injury concern is to wide receiver Tee Higgins. He reportedly missed practice on Wednesday because of it.
“Tee Higgins is not practicing today,” Ben Baby wrote. “But he did run up the hill.”
Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins Has a Heel Injury
The fact that Tee Higgins was able to run up the hill is important. After all, it’s a heel injury that the Bengals wide receiver is dealing with.
It was widely reported on Tuesday that Higgins is going to be limited throughout the week. He’s battling a contusion on his heel.
A contusion is, effectively, a severe bruise. There are a few different types of contusions, including those to the skin, bone, and muscle. What type Higgins is dealing with remains unclear, but it’s not expected to sideline him for any extended period of time. Still, the Bengals would like to see him get healthy before the regular season begins. So, it’s better safe than sorry in practice.
Overlooked at times on the Bengals, Higgins is going to be vital to getting back to the playoffs. A season ago, as their second receiving option, he was able to play in 15 games. In that time, he had 59 receptions for 846 yards and 11 touchdowns. That was a career high in touchdowns but was actually a down season for him in terms of receptions and yards.
Higgins Isn’t the Only Key Bengals WR Dealing With an Injury
In 2025, the Bengals had their entire season derailed by the injury to quarterback Joe Burrow. Trying to get back to the playoffs, they invested heavily in the roster this offseason. Now, the expectation is they’ll have a massive bounce-back season.
Of course, injuries could derail that quickly for the Bengals. That’s why the injury to Tee Higgins, regardless of how severe it is, becomes concerning.
To make matters worse, Higgins is dealing with his injury while there are also concerns about All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Arguably the best receiver in the NFL, he suffered a hyperextension in his knee, which looked like it could be a massive loss.
Luckily, for the Bengals, it appears Chase managed to avoid a major injury. Shortly following it, Chase shared that he would be able to play if there was a game the next day. However, he was still set to sit out practice out of an abundance of caution. Now, Ben Baby also reported that Chase isn’t practicing yet for the Bengals.
“Also, Ja’Marr Chase not practicing as anticipated but here for a sweltering afternoon practice,” Baby wrote.
Without Chase, the way defenses play the Bengals completely changes. They no longer have to double him or place their best cover corner on him. It opens up options in coverage. For Higgins, it would also mean much more attention directly on him, which makes life harder. Let alone if Higgins is also playing through pain.
It’s not quite game week yet for the Bengals. However, it’s a concern that there are already some injuries to this offense.
Bengals Injury Update: Tee Higgins Misses Practice Amid Foot Issue