After dropping eight games in nine weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals are shockingly still alive in the AFC playoff picture. With a record of 4-9, the Bengals will play back-to-back games against fellow wild card hopefuls with a chance to boost their odds. However, the momentum that the Bengals gained from getting superstar quarterback Joe Burrow back off the injured reserve came to a grinding halt as 115 million-dollar wide receiver Tee Higgins suffered yet another head injury.
“Bengals WR Tee Higgins reported concussion symptoms last night and this morning so he will be placed in concussion protocol, per HC Zac Taylor,” NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe wrote in an X post. “Higgins was evaluated twice for a concussion yesterday and cleared both times. He missed Week 13 due to a concussion.”
Higgins was the catalyst on an offense that looked unstoppable in Sunday’s 39-34 loss on the road to the Buffalo Bills.
The receiver caught six passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns in the blizzard at Highmark Stadium. It was Higgins’ second multi-touchdown game since the start of November and his seventh touchdown in his last six games.
Concussions Starting To Mount Up For Tee Higgins
If there is one thing NFL fans get nervous about, it’s concussions. For beloved receiver Tee Higgins, the head-injury trend is starting to become cause for concern.
Higgins has been a force to be reckoned with since he entered the league six seasons ago. However, during that time, he has missed at least 11 full games due to injury.
In 2022, Higgins entered concussion protocol after Week 1. Since then, it has been mostly hamstring and torso-related injuries.
An ugly hit in Week 12 forced Higgins to the sideline against the New England Patriots. It was ruled a concussion at the time, and he spent Week 13 in protocol before ultimately missing the game against the Baltimore Ravens the following week.
He returned to the lineup Sunday but once again slammed his head off the turf in violent fashion.
The hit caused him to miss the remainder of the drive it was sustained on, but he returned to the lineup to finish the game.
He took another hard fall in the corner of the endzone in the fourth quarter of the game against Buffalo, causing him to once more be evaluated.
It doesn’t take a doctor to know that two hard blows immediately after coming out of concussion protocol is a real concern for any player in the league, let alone one with a history.
Will Higgins Play Sunday?
Every game is a playoff game for the Bengals going forward. This is especially true for Sunday afternoon’s rematch with the Baltimore Ravens.
Head coach Zac Taylor gave no timetable on a potential return for Higgins when he announced the receiver would be entering the protocol.
But considering that Higgins self-reported his symptoms and the proximity to his last head injury, it would seem unlikely that Higgins could take the field this Sunday.
Pair this with the Bengals releasing 24-year-old receiver Jermaine Burton earlier today, and wide receiver depth could become a problem for Cincy down the stretch.
Bengals $115 Million Receiver Back In Concussion Protocol After Monster Game