Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins was initially listed as questionable for the team's Week 17 matchup with the Denver Broncos with ankle and knee injuries, but you wouldn't have known it watching Higgins dominate Denver's defense.
Tee Higgins turned in his best game of the season when the Bengals needed it the most
In the most important game of the current campaign (so far) for Cincinnati, Higgins turned in his most impressive performance of the season. The star receiver caught 11 passes for 131 yards and not one, not two, but three touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime to keep Cincinnati's playoff hopes alive.
Tee Higgins' THIRD TD seals the win for the @Bengals!#DENvsCIN pic.twitter.com/hzH4j4jAWh
— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024
The Broncos' defense was clearly keyed in on Ja'Marr Chase, and Higgins did his best to take advantage of that fact. He made big play after big play against a respectable Denver defense, and many of his grabs were highly contested. He did have an extremely costly fumble in the fourth quarter of the contest, but luckily the Bengals were able to overcome the error, and Higgins was able to make up for it by scoring the game-winning touchdown.
After the game, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor needed just one word to describe Higgins: Warrior.
Zac Taylor on Tee Higgins: "He's a warrior."
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) December 29, 2024
Higgins battled a knee injury this week. But Taylor said he texted Taylor during a team meeting at the beginning of the week and said, "I'm playing."
That's high praise from Taylor, but also apt, as Higgins has consistently tried to play through injury issues this season. Sure, he's missed some time, but he's made an effort to minimize his absences and maximize his impact on the field despite playing without the security of a long-term contract.
With performances like the one he just had against Denver, it's easy to understand why Joe Burrow recently referred to Higgins as a "need" for Cincinnati moving forward beyond the current campaign. The star quarterback clearly wants the front office to prioritize retaining Higgins, who will be a free agent over the offseason. He was recently ranked as the top overall 2025 free agent.
Despite his productive play, the sad reality for Cincinnati fans is that the team's Week 18 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers could potentially be Higgins' last game in a Bengals uniform. Obviously, that won't be the case if Burrow has any say in the matter, but at the end of the day, personnel decisions aren't his to make.
But, perhaps Higgins' head-turning performance against Denver will be enough to finally force Cincinnati's front office to realize just how valuable he is to the team's success on offense.