Tee Higgins appears to be nearing a return to the field.
The Bengals receiver, who missed Cincinnati's first two games of 2024 due to a hamstring injury, was back at practice Thursday on a limited basis.
"See where it goes from there," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters before Thursday's session. "We need him."
Higgins suffered the hamstring injury in practice in early September, removing one of Joe Burrow's top targets from the team's offense for their first two games. Cincinnati struggled mightily in their season-opening loss to New England, finishing with just 154 passing yards while possessing the ball for fewer than 26 minutes.
A week later, the Bengals produced better results, as Burrow completed 23 of 36 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns, but he needed to rely on a host of lesser-known pass-catchers -- tight end Mike Gesicki led the team in receiving with seven receptions for 91 yards, while receiver Andrei Iosivas caught both touchdown passes -- in order to move the ball through the air. Even with their improvement, the Bengals fell to 0-2 in a 26-25 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
With the Washington Commanders up next as a potential get-right game on Monday, now is the ideal time to work Higgins back into the offense, provided he's healthy enough to go.
"He's a top player in this league," Taylor said of Higgins. "That makes every personnel grouping better when he's in it. Him and Ja'Marr (Chase), obviously two guys that draw a lot of attention singularly, so when we've got them on the field together, it's certainly good assets to have."
Higgins has plenty to play for beyond wins and losses. The receiver was the only player to be franchise tagged in the 2024 offseason and fail to come to a long-term agreement, playing out the single-season tag with a chance to earn a pay day with his performance.
Cincinnati and Higgins will need to be cautious when it comes to Higgins' health. Hamstring injuries often require careful monitoring, and can be prone to aggravation if rushed back too soon.
As Taylor said Thursday, the Bengals' first goal with Higgins is simple: "Just make sure he's healthy."
If so, Cincinnati has reason to be excited about the looming return of a key playmaker.
