CINCINNATI — Bengals extensive receiver Tee Higgins flashed an enormous smile at his locker earlier than the workforce took off for Los Angeles.
After three weeks out with a quadriceps damage, Higgins is predicted to play Sunday towards the Chargers, coach Zac Taylor mentioned after Friday’s follow.
And no person is wanting ahead to it greater than Higgins is.
“I am very excited [to] get again on the market with the blokes,” Higgins instructed ESPN in his first interview since struggling the damage. “Simply sitting there watching, I hate it, what I am saying? Not having the ability to contribute to assist get a win, it sucks. So I am very excited to go on the market and battle.”
Higgins has been a restricted participant at follow this week however doesn’t have an damage designation for Sunday’s sport. In the course of the portion of Friday’s follow open to the media, Higgins was in uniform and sported a helmet however did agility and conditioning drills.
“Something you noticed in follow with him doing rehab, doing particular person stuff was all stuff we had coordinated all week to be sure that he was in an important spot,” Taylor mentioned. “And proper now, we’re in an important spot.”
Additionally, Bengals defensive finish Trey Hendrickson is predicted to play Sunday regardless of lacking follow Friday. Hendrickson, who leads the NFL with 11 sacks this season, will journey individually to Los Angeles on Saturday for private causes.
Higgins suffered his damage in follow Oct. 25, two days earlier than the Bengals’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The damage continued to linger over the subsequent couple of weeks, he mentioned.
“I used to be nonetheless feeling it,” Higgins mentioned. “But it surely felt superb this week, and I am able to go.”
The fifth-year extensive receiver has needed to battle soft-tissue accidents all through his profession. This season, he suffered a hamstring damage days earlier than Week 1 and missed the primary two video games. He additionally missed 4 video games in 2023 due to a hamstring damage.
Higgins indicated that he has made consultations to forestall these accidents from occurring sooner or later.
“I believed I used to be dealing with it the appropriate method, after which these items retains occurring,” Higgins instructed ESPN. “So I needed to go and name individuals and see what I must do higher or extra of. I really feel like I am heading in the right direction proper now.”
Earlier than he suffered the quadriceps damage, Higgins was lauded by coaches and teammates for performing on the highest degree of his profession. Higgins, who’s taking part in on the franchise tag, averaged 80.7 yards per sport within the three contests previous the damage and performed a key function in back-to-back wins over the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns.
Taylor mentioned that, regardless of the prolonged absence, the workforce feels assured that Higgins can deal with a major workload in a sport Cincinnati (4-6) is aware of it must win to bolster its playoff outlook.
Higgins mentioned the hardest half about not taking part in has been the losses Cincinnati has sustained in his absence. The Bengals dropped two of the three video games he missed.
Earlier than the workforce left for Los Angeles on Friday afternoon, Higgins instructed ESPN that he hopes the most effective for him this yr is but to come back.
“Hopefully all of the damage stuff is behind me, I am wholesome for the remainder of the season, and we are able to go and attempt to make that run that we expect we are able to do,” Higgins mentioned.
In different damage information, Bengals offensive deal with Orlando Brown Jr. is questionable with a decrease leg damage. Linebacker Logan Wilson (quadriceps) and defensive deal with BJ Hill (knee, questionable) are each anticipated to play towards the Chargers.
