The Cincinnati Bengals had a nice rebound against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, despite it being too little, too late. Joe Burrow and Co. were efficient and made the Quinn Ewers-led offense pay for their three turnovers.
A big part of the Bengals’ potent offense was Tee Higgins, who once again shined near his hometown down south. While he only had three catches, two of them were big plays, including a Randy Moss-like 35-yard reception and a toe-tap touchdown.
These plays were all impressive, given Higgins’ stints on the concussion protocol over the past few weeks. Many were worried about him taking the field again this week after those head injuries and the team being out of playoff contention, but Higgins answered the bell in a big way, logging his team-leading tenth touchdown on the season.
Aside from being cleared by one of the top concussion specialists in the U.S., Higgins was also given a special, altered helmet to assist in limiting his recent injury issues. And, on that 35-yard reception, many had to sigh in relief when he landed shoulder-first on the field, instead of on his head once again.
”Honestly, you know, praying that I come here and get positive news and come back with positive news to tell the team and things like that,” Higgins said after the game while speaking about being cleared by the specialist in Pittsburgh. “And that’s what it was. Obviously, I was very anxious and nervous, you know what they were gonna say. But I got peace of mind. It was ok.”
Obviously, head injuries in football players have come under more scrutiny in recent years, and the care in the return of said players has rightfully come under the microscope. It’s a little unclear as to what alterations were exactly made to his helmet, as Higgins wasn’t seen with one of those Guardian Caps, but certain extra precautions were made.
On that 35-yard completion, Joe Burrow eclipsed the 20,000-yard milestone, which would have been surpassed earlier if not for injuries of his own. Even so, it was a nice snapshot for both players, who entered the 2020 Bengals draft class together.
It has been reported that Higgins, despite the Bengals being out of playoff contention, has done a bunch of due diligence to get back on the field in an effort to help the Bengals end the disappointing 2025 season on a strong note. A couple of big catches on Sunday in Miami definitely put an exclamation mark on that process.
The touchdown catch against the Dolphins on Sunday matched a career-high with 10 in a season for Higgins, matching his total in 2024. He remains an incredibly valuable weapon in this offense as a chain-mover, jump-ball savant, and red zone weapon. He has 44 touchdown catches in his career, despite injuries to both himself and Burrow.
Cincinnati needs to continue to closely monitor this situation, both for the remainder of 2025 and the rest of Higgins’ career. Regardless, it seems all parties are doing their due diligence and that Higgins will remain a huge part of the team’s success going forward.
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