Bengals WR Tee Higgins Sparks Buzz: Latest Injury Status, Contract Rumors & Fantasy Impact

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins etched his name in franchise history Sunday by eclipsing 5,000 career receiving yards on a 44-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter of the Week 9 win over the Chicago Bears at Paycor Stadium. The milestone came in Higgins’ 79th NFL game and showcased the big-play chemistry he’s rekindled since signing a four-year extension in March that keeps him in Cincinnati through the 2028 season. Why it matters for the Bengals • Reliable WR2 surge: With defenses tilting coverage toward Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins’ resurgence provides Joe Burrow’s offense (and veteran backup Joe Flacco, who delivered Sunday’s strike) a lethal secondary option. • Playoff positioning: The victory moved Cincinnati above .500 and tightened a crowded AFC North race, where point-differential tiebreakers could hinge on Higgins’ explosive scores. • Locker-room stability: Ending contract speculation early in the offseason prevented the mid-year distractions that dogged the club in 2024 and allowed Higgins to focus on production. Fantasy football takeaway Higgins has now logged three straight games with 70-plus yards and/or a touchdown and is off the injury report heading into Week 10. His expanded red-zone role (team-high seven targets inside the 20 over the last four games) vaults him into every-week WR2 territory, especially against a Texans secondary surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to perimeter receivers this season. By the numbers • 44: Longest play of Higgins’ 2025 campaign, the TD that sent him over 5K yards. • 11: He becomes the 11th Bengal ever to hit the 5,000-yard plateau. • 355: Career receptions entering the game, ranking fifth among all 2020 draft-class pass catchers. What’s next The Bengals travel to Houston next Sunday before a pivotal divisional rematch with the Ravens on Thursday night. With Chase drawing daily double teams and tight end Mike Gesicki battling a groin tweak, Higgins is positioned for another target spike as Cincinnati eyes its third straight postseason berth.