Cincinnati will lack an integral part of its winning formula against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins will be inactive for Sunday’s game due to a quad injury, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported, per a source. The team has since officially declared Higgins inactive.
Higgins' status for Week 8 only came in question on Friday, when the 25-year-old popped up on the injury report as limited. Pelissero reports Higgins pulled his quad running a route during practice on Friday.
Despite still participating in practice in some form, though, he's now set to miss his third game of the 2024 campaign.
Higgins was absent for Cincy's first two contests -- both losses -- with a hamstring injury. Since returning, he's posted 341 yards and three touchdowns on 29 receptions.
But it's not solely his individual output that has helped the Bengals claw back to a game shy of .500 after an 0-3 start. His presence also helped unlock Ja'Marr Chase, who in two games without Higgins this season averaged 9.7 yards per catch (10 for 97) without a score. Starting in Week 3 alongside his fellow star wideout, Chase has averaged 18.0 yards per reception (29 for 523) with six touchdown catches.
Cincinnati has also averaged 28.6 points per game during that timeframe compared to just 17.5 over the first two weeks. While some of that can be attributed to shaking off early-season cobwebs, it's notable that Higgins has been present for it, leading the team with 45 targets since returning to the field.
His newest absence robs Joe Burrow of a trustworthy pass catcher and Chase of a welcome distraction for opposing defenses.
Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin should again see larger roles, and perhaps third-round rookie Jermaine Burton can handle more action than he's become accustomed to during a quiet start to his NFL career.
In order to run the team's win streak to three and keep climbing back into the playoff picture, Burrow will have to lean on Chase and those depth contributors against the Eagles' top-10 defense.
Cincinnati and Philadelphia kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
