Tee Higgins injury update: When will the Bengals WR return?

There's trouble in the Cincinnati jungle. Tee Higgins was supposed to be a key piece in the Bengals' offense, but due to injuries, the wide receiver has spent plenty of time watching rather than playing in 2024.

Most of the narrative surrounding Higgins is focused on his contract, something that's been well-documented by now. While he's on the hunt for a new deal, it appears that it will have to come from one of the league's 31 other teams in free agency. The Bengals' unwillingness to spend is nothing new, but this ongoing war with Higgins has caused fans to speculate that the two situations are connected.

"I just don't understand why fans think I'm faking an injury, when for me to get an extension for a contract, the deadline is over," Higgins told ESPN in September. "I just don't understand why they think I'm faking an injury. It doesn't make sense to me."

Higgins signed the franchise tag in June to avoid a holdout. The contract has come into focus even more as injuries have limited the receiver to just five games through the first ten weeks. With the Bengals' playoff hopes fading with each loss, Cincinnati will hope to get their star back before it's too late.

Here's the latest on Higgins' status before Week 11.

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Tee Higgins injury update

Higgins returned to practice on Wednesday, logging a limited session before Week 11. It was his first practice since suffering the quad injury on Oct. 25.

The receiver has missed the last three games with that quad issue and the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury. This is just the latest in what's become a growing durability concern for Higgins, who missed five games in 2023 and has already matched that in 2024.

The Bengals hope to get him back on the field against the Chargers on Sunday night, but they won't feel good until he makes it through the week without a downgrade in practice participation. Upgrading to a full practice would inspire confidence in Higgins' ability to play.

Cincinnati has played like a different team with him on the field, posting a 3-2 record with Higgins versus a 1-4 record without him. If Higgins is unable to play, it'll once again be Ja'Marr Chase leading the charge as WR1 with a committee approach behind him that includes Andrei Iosivas and Jermaine Burton.

When was Tee Higgins injured?

Higgins was injured during the Bengals' Oct. 25 practice. He popped up on the injury report with a quad issue. He has not played since, only returning to the practice field on Nov. 13.

Tee Higgins stats

If the Bengals want to make the playoffs, they'll likely need Higgins. He has been targeted 45 times through five games, hauling in 29 catches for 341 yards and three touchdowns.

Injuries have prevented Higgins from reaching the 1,000-yard totals he posted in 2021 and 2022, but the receiver is still highly effective when healthy.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When will Tee Higgins return? Latest updates for Bengals WR