With core players dealing with injuries during the 2023 season, Higgins proved to be a reliable option for whoever was under center for the Bengals in 11 games. Higgins generated 42 receptions for 656 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Higgins battled through a fractured rib, hamstring and ankle injuries this past season. The 2020 second-round pick has proven to be a reliable target for Burrow in his first four seasons. With three-time Pro Bowler Ja’Marr Chase lined up on the other side, the trio has showcased how lethal Cincy’s offense can be when they are all out on the field.
In 2021, the Bengals had a historic season. The team won the AFC North for the first time since 2015, defeated the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game and made an appearance in Super Bowl LVI. Unfortunately, the Bengals came up short in the final minutes of the game to the Rams but displayed how well they had drafted young pieces like Burrow, Chase, Joe Mixon and Higgins.
Even though the season did not go how the Bengals wanted it to go, Cincy finished fourth in the division with an 9-8 record. Head coach Zac Taylor had his third-straight season above the .500 mark despite injuries to key contributors on offense. Burrow was ruled out due to a torn ligament in right wrist in November. Jake Browning finished the rest of the season going 4-3 as a starter. With Browning as the starter, Higgins recorded a season-high 140 receiving yards against the Steelers in Week 16.
At the end of January, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said he wanted Higgins back, and now Cincy is one step closer to having its young talented core intact for the upcoming season.
Now, Higgins and Tobin aim to reach a mutually agreeable number that works for both sides.
