Tee Higgins did not suit up for the Cincinnati Bengals' first game of the 2024 NFL season due to a hamstring injury, and he may not be available for Sunday's Week 2 matchup, either. Now, the wide receiver is denying that he's "faking an injury" for contract reasons, telling ESPN Thursday that fans suggesting as much are being illogical.
"I just don't understand why fans think I'm faking an injury," Higgins said, "when for me to get an extension for a contract, the deadline is over. I just don't understand ... It doesn't make sense to me."
Higgins signed the Bengals' one-year franchise tag as a free agent this offseason, but failed to reach a long-term contract by the July 15 deadline for negotiating a multi-year extension. The fifth-year veteran previously sought a trade out of Cincinnati over a failure to strike a lucrative deal. He was outspoken about his commitment to the team upon his return for training camp.
"I had time to reflect and think," Higgins said at the time. "I had long talks with my agent. A lot of back and forth about what I wanted to do. I just made the decision to sign the [franchise] tag. At the end of the day, I just wanted to come out here and try to win a Super Bowl. I'm happy with the decision I made. I'm here for the Bengals for the 2024 season. ... Instead of holding out and waiting and just watching from afar, I'd rather be in the mix with the guys and grind it out with them. That's how I've always been."
It stands to reason that Higgins would prefer to be on the field to build his market for a future foray into free agency, especially after injuries robbed him of five games -- and potentially contributed to the Bengals' hesitance to hand him a long-term contract -- in 2023. The receiver said as much Thursday.
"I want to go out there and give my teammates 100% of Tee Higgins, you know what I'm saying?" Higgins told ESPN. "I don't want to give them 50%."
