CINCINNATI — The injury concerns of the week for the Bengals ended up good news as safety Geno Stone (shin) and left tackle Orlando Brown (calf) are both expected to play on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed their status on Friday, adding he does not expect any setbacks.
Unfortunately for the Bengals, that wasn’t the big injury news of the day. Wide receiver Tee Higgins popped up at the Friday practice as limited with a quad injury.
He is listed a questionable for Sunday.
#Bengals WR Tee Higgins popped up as limited and questionable with a surprise quad.
Obviously, one to monitor closely leading up to kickoff Sunday. pic.twitter.com/7kNpy95fcy
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) October 25, 2024
Higgins has struggled with soft tissue injuries throughout his career, including a hamstring injury that popped up days before the opener and forced him out of the first two games of the season. Perhaps this ends up being a temporary issue and he still goes against the Eagles, but his status is suddenly in doubt.
Higgins has proven a monster this season, ranking 11th in the NFL in yards per game while his partner, Ja’Marr Chase, ranks third. Higgins has increased his yards after catch and has been a dominant target for Joe Burrow.
The question becomes how much Higgins is willing to risk if the quad is still sore on Sunday, given he is on the franchise tag and desperately needs to post a largely healthy season to collect his seemingly inevitable payday. Aggravating the injury by coming back too soon could be a significant blow to his offseason value, yet the Bengals are up against the clock this season after starting 1-4 and clawing back in the range of .500 with two consecutive wins.
The Bengals (3-4) and Eagles (4-2) kick off at 1 p.m. (ET) at Paycor Stadium.
Required reading
- Bengals mailbag: Stat dives, rushing success and entering the season of truth
- Bengals defense fighting winning battle (for now) against explosives as Eagles loom
- Bengals continue tinkering with offense amid injuries, inconsistency
(Photo: Jason Miller / Getty Images)
