Higgins told ESPN last week he didn’t understand why some fans were suggesting on social media that he was faking the injury because of his contract situation. He is playing on a franchise tag worth $21.8 million this year, and the deadline to get a long-term deal done was July 14.
Asked on Friday what he made of the public discourse around his injury the past two weeks, he said he “thought it was funny.”
“It is what it is,” Higgins said. “People are entitled to their own opinion. I really didn’t think anything of it. I just made the comments (to ESPN) because people were still talking (expletive). I thought it was funny.”
Higgins went into this offseason and preseason knowing how big of a year this would be for him, as he hopes to secure a long-term contract next year. He sought an extension with the Bengals in each of the past two offseasons, then requested a trade in March when it became clear it wasn’t going to happen.
Still, Higgins signed the franchise tag June 17, four days after the team’s offseason workout program ended, with the expectation of putting his contract situation behind him to focus on having his “best season yet.”
Higgins had more than 1,000 yards receiving in both 2021 and 2022 after coming up just shy of that milestone in 2020. Last season, he had just 656 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games, but according to ESPN Research, he was one of 15 players to amass 3,000 or more receiving yards between 2020 and 2022.
“Just gotta do my thing on the field,” Higgins said when asked about weighing his financial future against wanting to play. “Everything will take care of itself.”
The 2020 second-round draft pick has never played more than 14 games in the regular season. Last year, Higgins missed a Week 5 win at Arizona because of a ribs injury, then a few weeks later was sidelined for another three games with a hamstring issue. He also missed the finale against Cleveland because he injured the other hamstring.
Higgins had changed his eating habits and was taking extra care of his body this offseason with the goal of playing 17 games this year. He had arguably the best training camp of his career and was preparing for the opener when he tweaked his hamstring.
The Bengals switched gears without him but struggled to move the ball and lost the opener to New England, 16-10, before just coming up short in a much better outing last week at Kansas City.
“It was tough,” Higgins said of his emotions after suffering the injury. “Obviously, preparing myself all offseason not to miss a game. But unfortunately, it happened. Luckily, it was at the beginning of the season. Still got a whole season.”
Higgins said his hamstring was a little tight on the day he tweaked it and he “just overshot it one time,” but he didn’t think anything of it at first. That’s why that afternoon he still told media how great he was feeling going into the season. The next day it was worse, and he had to stay patient to let it heal.
After a pre-game workout Sunday, it was clear he was feeling better, but just to be cautious, it was decided he should take another week to get back in full.
“I feel great,” Higgins said. “Obviously, unfortunate with the injury, sat out the first two weeks but finally ready to get my feet wet this season and ready to go.”
The former Clemson standout still looks forward to building off his training camp. Missing two weeks wasn’t ideal, especially as the Bengals went 0-2 and could have used him to help get the offense going sooner.
Higgins said they need a win badly Monday, and he plans to do his part to make it happen.
“Just keep building off what I left off on,” Higgins said. “I’ve still got that chemistry down with Joe (Burrow). Today at practice it felt good out there. It wasn’t no step back, so just keep going.”
MONDAY’S GAME
Commanders at Bengals, 8:15 p.m., ABC, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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