Tag: Tee Higgins

Bengals go shocking route in new mock draft

The Bengals go away from what fans and players seem to want the team to do in a new mock draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals have been able to win their last three games, and in doing so are pushing themselves lower and lower in the 2025 NFL draft that will be in April. With winning football games and still having a shot at making the playoffs in mind, of course the Bengals don’t mind that, but regardless the pick won’t be as high as it might have been before.

In a recent mock draft done by Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News, the Bengals used their 13th overall pick to take wide receiver Isaiah Bond out of Texas.

It’s not clear yet what the team plans to do at wide receiver, still trying to work out a deal with Ja’Marr Chase, and possibly even trying to still hold onto Tee Higgins in the offseason. But with both of those deals still in limbo, Iyer sees Cincinnati going after a receiver early in the draft.

The Bengals have done well when it comes to drafting wide receivers in the recent past, Higgins and Chase being the obvious examples, so it is a route that they could end up going, but Bengals fans would certainly prefer to see Chase have a long-term deal with the team, maybe allowing them to go with a defensive player with their first pick in the draft, the side of the ball that has seen the biggest struggles this season.

Joe Burrow would also like to see the Bengals attack a different position in the draft when it comes around. He has been vocal about wanting the team to work out a deal with Higgins so he can keep his two biggest weapons around on the offensive side of the ball.

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Did Patriots player attempt to recruit Bengals’ Tee Higgins in free agency?

Bengals WR Tee Higgins is a big name ahead of free agency.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins could be the biggest name in free agency next offseason.

If the Bengals let him get there, of course.

But the proof is constantly out there. Most recently, New England Patriots wideout Kendrick Bourne sent a little recruiting message to Higgins on TikTok Live.

“Aye Tee Higgins if you out there,” Bourne said in footage captured by Carlos Talks Pats, “come to the Pats bro. It ain’t what it seems bro, it’s gonna be lit… Drake Maye and Tee Higgins touchdown. Look how good that sounds.”

The Patriots are one of those bad teams with lots of cap space sure to eyeball Higgins, especially now that they have a possible franchise passer in Drake Maye.

Even so, the conversation around the Bengals and Higgins has changed dramatically. The star wideout split with his agent, then signed on with the same reps as Ja’Marr Chase. That pairs nicely with Joe Burrow putting public pressure on the Bengals to get an extension done.

From the way things are trending, teams like the Patriots won’t even get a shot at Higgins.

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Kendrick Bourne makes pitch for star WR to sign with Patriots in 2025

Kendrick Bourne made a pitch for Tee Higgins to join the Patriots

Veteran wideout Kendrick Bourne made a pitch for soon-to-be free agent wide receiver Tee Higgins to sign with the New England Patriots. He stated his case in a TikTok Live video.

Higgins has been a major part of the Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers room ever since his arrival to the league in 2020. He has recorded 58 catches for 727 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

The former Clemson star has still managed to stand out despite playing opposite one of the league’s best receivers, Ja’Marr Chase. Some believe he has the talent to be a No. 1 receiver for a different team.

“Aye Tee Higgins, if you out there…come to the Pats, bro. It ain’t what it seems, bro,” said Bourne. “It’s going to be lit. Drake Maye and Tee Higgins, touchdown. Look how good that sounds.”

Higgins would be an instant upgrade to the Patriots’ wide receiver room. The organization has needed a top receiver for quite some time, and he would certainly fit the bill.

The Patriots are expected to have the most salary cap space heading into the 2025 offseason. They’ll have plenty of money to spend if they want to make the move.

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Bengals WR Tee Higgins suffers injury vs. Browns

Tee Higgins suffered an injury in Week 16.

(This story has been updated to add new information) 

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins suffered an injury during the second half of his team’s Week 16 game against the Cleveland Browns.

After catching his eighth pass of the day in a 17-6 game favoring the Bengals, Higgins remained down as trainers came out.

Not long after, Higgins walked off under his own power. He’d caught eight passes for 58 yards and a score by that point.

Higgins had been on the injury report earlier in the week while the team managed his reps, but was completely off it on the final injury report. He had previously suffered two different soft-tissue injuries this year that cost him stretches of the season.

Update: Higgins returned to the game after getting checked out on the sidelines.

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Is Tee Higgins playing today? Injury updates for Bengals WR

Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is dealing with a leg injury. Here are the latest updates for Week 16.

(This story has been updated to add new information)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins was a new addition to the injury report this week ahead of his team’s game against the Cleveland Browns.

Here’s the latest.

 

Tee Higgins injury update

  • Update: Higgins is active for the game.
  • Higgins logged a “DNP” while doing some side work.
  • Bengals head coach Zac Taylor later classified things as “management mode” for Higgins and didn’t list him on the injury report.

 

How long will Tee Higgins be out?

Higgins is set to play against the Browns. At this point, though, Higgins is worth monitoring on a weekly basis. He has a history of soft-tissue injuries and two different ones popped up this year. One happened on short notice and cost him games near the start of the season, then another suffered during running routes at a Friday practice cost him multiple games after.

 

Bengals WR depth chart

  • Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas, Jermaine Burton, Charlie Jones, Isaiah Williams

Barring a surprise, Higgins shouldn’t even be on a snap count against the Browns. But Iosivas and rookie Jermaine Burton would get more looks opposite Chase if something occurs.

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Zac Taylor provides injury updates on key Bengals stars

The Bengals had a long list of injury updates before Week 16 vs. Browns.

The Cincinnati Bengals had some eyebrow-raising injury listings during the week before the team’s game against the Cleveland Browns.

But Bengals head coach Zac Taylor gave the all-clear on the two biggest items.

When it comes to Joe Burrow’s injury, Taylor said the knee issue that had him limited all week wasn’t a concern.

As for Tee Higgins’ injury, Taylor said the same thing after Higgins was limited two days and rested another due to a knee injury.

Taylor’s most notable one-liner on these topics: “We’re in management mode at this point.”

Not management, though, is the concussion protocol process for guard Alex Cappa. He’ll have to pass final tests to be able to play on Sunday. Ditto for Orlando Brown Jr., who is also listed as questionable after the re-aggravtion of his knee injury at the start of the month.

Those issues up front could mean Cody Ford starts on the left edge and potentially rookie Matt Lee gets the nod at right guard.

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Will Tee Higgins play this week? Injury updates for Bengals WR

Bengals WR Tee Higgins is dealing with a knee injury. Here are the latest updates.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has stepped into the injury limelight once again.

This time, it’s a knee injury for Higgins as his Bengals get ready to take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 16, so here’s a running list of updates before kickoff.

 

Tee Higgins injury update

  • Higgins is off the injury report and will play on Sunday.
  • Higgins was “limited” on the first injury report of the week, then a straight-up “DNP” on the second due to rest and a knee injury.
  • According to ESPN’s Ben Baby, Higgins is expected to play against the Browns and did side work during that listed “DNP” day.

How long will Tee Higgins be out?

  • Higgins will reportedly play against the Browns. But Bengals fans have been here before with him, multiple times this season alone. He had an injury come out of nowhere to cost him games early in the season, then had a different setback after suffering a soft-tissue injury during a Friday walkthrough that cost him multiple games.

Bengals depth chart

  • Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas, Jermaine Burton, Charlie Jones, Isaiah Williams

If Higgins suffers another setback or is limited on Sunday, some of the work could go to embattled rookie Jermaine Burton.

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Tee Higgins breaks silence on contract extension status with Bengals

Tee Higgins just appeared in a new interview and talked about his contract status with the Bengals.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins “would love” to stay with the team on a long-term extension.

So says the star wideout himself in a new interview with TMZ Sports ahead of his team’s Week 16 game against the Cleveland Browns.

There, Higgins confirmed he wants to be with the Bengals, although he added a”this business is crazy” for good measure.

This stance isn’t all that new for Higgins, as he’s remained adamant about the situation for the better part of a year, at least.

But this comment comes at an interesting time. Joe Burrow just put very public pressure on the Bengals front office to get a Higgins extension done. Ja’Marr Chase then did the same.

Right after that, Higgins split from agent David Mulugheta — and just so happened to hire the same reps as Chase.

The writing very much appears to be on the wall about what Higgins wants. While the Bengals getting Chase and Higgins extended together will be tricky, the team has the cap room and all three clearly want it. Plus, funnily enough, it helps that the team’s poor drafting means they don’t have to pay up big elsewhere on the roster right now.

If the Bengals get serious with the proper cash, contract structure, and guarantees, Higgins won’t hit the free-agent market.

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Patriots insider weighs in on team’s chances of signing Tee Higgins

Will the Patriots sign Tee Higgins in the offseason? One insider expects them to offer “the moon” for the Bengals’ wideout.

The New England Patriots need to make a splash this offseason in an effort to build around quarterback Drake Maye.

The Athletic’s Chad Graff offered his view on what New England could do in this regard. He believes the Patriots will aggressively go after Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Tee Higgins.

Higgins has battled through injuries this season but has still managed to have a productive year. He has 45 catches for 581 yards and five touchdowns to this point. He has 302 catches for 4,265 yards and 29 touchdowns in his career.

When responding to a question, Graff wrote:

Here’s an easy guess simply from reading the tea leaves: The Patriots are going to be all in on Tee Higgins. They’ve shown an interest in established receivers, and Higgins is the best free agent. I expect them to offer him the moon. The question is whether he says yes or no.

The Patriots could certainly use a player like Higgins, as he would give them an explosive veteran playmaker at one of their greatest positions of need.

They are projected to have the most cap space next year, which means they’ll have the money if they want to make a splash.

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Will Bengals fumble problem 31 other teams would love to have?

The Bengals can’t possibly mess this up, right? Right?

The Cincinnati Bengals have a top-five quarterback and two No. 1 wideouts who want to stay with the team long-term.

Talk about a problem 31 other teams would love to have at any point in time.

Surely, this is a layup at the rim, right? A chipshot field goal from close range? Joe Burrow wants the Bengals to keep Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on extensions.

Chase wants to be back. And Higgins does too—that much we can discern from his parting ways with agent David Mulugheta and hiring the same reps as Chase.

The Bengals don’t even have to negotiate with different agencies now.

That doesn’t mean the Bengals will get a discount. This isn’t an extend one, get the other one half-off sort of thing. But Higgins going away from Mulugheta, who would only get him a top-of-market deal outside the Bengals, says it all.

The timing of Burrow putting pressure on the front office and Chase putting pressure on the front office isn’t an accident.

On paper, there’s no issue here. The Bengals are projected to have nearly $60 million in free cap space next offseason before any tough cuts conversations like Sheldon Rankins and Sam Hubbard, among others. And oftentimes, extensions can actually lower cap hits.

It’s not like other non-Trey Hendrickson names have earned big extensions because the team has drafted and coached so poorly. It’s not like Jessie Bates stayed (as he should have) and ate a big chunk of cap. There’s…not really anybody else left to pay, anyway.

Again, on paper, pay the Big 3, get at least a new defensive coaching staff in the building, draft well, add a few free agents to the mix, and field a league-average defense. That Big 3 should do the rest.

Of course, the Bengals will still have to leave their comfort zone when it comes to contract structure and guarantees while giving out fair market price to top stars.

But a (99 percent likely) playoff miss during a Burrow MVP year—just before lease negotiations get serious—should have a way of encouraging the front office to do whatever it takes.

The players involved have apparently already met the Bengals halfway on this. Now, it’s up to the team to do the rest. And if not…

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