Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins returned to the concussion protocol after his team’s dramatic Sunday loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Physicians evaluated Higgins for a concussion at multiple points of Cincinnati’s 39-34 defeat, and though he was cleared to continue to play, he reported symptoms following the game and was placed in the protocol, Bengals coach Zac Taylor confirmed at his Monday press conference.
Taylor also said defensive end Trey Hendrickson is headed to a specialist for his abdominal strain and won’t play Sunday against the Ravens. ESPN reported Hendrickson is expected to opt for hernia surgery and miss at least six weeks, ending his season.
Higgins missed the Bengals’ previous game, a 32-14 win at the Ravens on Nov. 27, due to a concussion sustained four days earlier when he smacked his head on the turf as Cincinnati fell to the New England Patriots.
He resumed practicing and cleared the protocol in the days leading up to the Bills game.
Higgins caught six passes for a team-high 92 yards against Buffalo. He reeled in his second touchdown grab on a snowy afternoon on a 25-yard lob from Joe Burrow with 2:13 remaining in the fourth quarter.
That catch accounted for the game’s final score as the Bengals failed to convert a two-point pass attempt and never got the ball back. Buffalo tallied the next 21 points in a 4 1/2-minute span to wipe out a Cincinnati lead.
The Bengals fell to 4-9, four wins below the AFC playoff cutline.
Higgins has totaled 46 catches for 667 yards and nine touchdowns in 12 appearances. He, Burrow and star wideout Ja’Marr Chase have played just three games together this season.
Burrow sat out nine games with a turf toe injury, returning in time to face the Ravens. Chase served a suspension against the Patriots for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey.
Hendrickson turned 31 last week. He has played in seven games after a holdout over his contract kept him off the field with the Bengals during the offseason and training camp.
The dispute was temporarily resolved when the Bengals adjusted his 2025 compensation, but he is still scheduled for free agency in March.
He had 17.5 sacks in 2023 and 17.5 more in 2024 but was limited to just four sacks this season, giving Hendrickson 81 sacks in 117 career games.
