Higgins was listed as “doubtful” on the injury report Friday.
“We wouldn’t put him out there like that,” Taylor said Monday.
Cincinnati plays at Kansas City this Sunday and will be looking to bounce back from a 16-10 loss to the Patriots in a much-anticipated AFC battle at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs beat the Ravens, 27-20, in their opener.
Higgins would be a welcome boost to an offense that sorely missed him Sunday while going three-and-out the first three drives and managing just 10 points. However, Higgins and two other injured players that have a chance to come back this week are still up in the air.
Zac Taylor speaks to the media following Week 1 and heading into Week 2 at Kansas City. https://t.co/3k4XbsgkEt
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 9, 2024
Rookie defensive tackle Kris Jenkins underwent surgery on his thumb Friday but could possibly play with protection on his hand, and rookie offensive tackle Amarius Mims resumed practicing in limited fashion last week, in his return from a pectoral muscle strain, and potentially could be available if he is able to get to full participation.
“We’ll get into the week to evaluate both of them,” Taylor said when asked specifically about Higgins and Jenkins. “I really think it’s too early to say on either one of them. The surgery went well for Kris on Friday. We’ll get to Wednesday and see where he’s at. Same with Tee. Same with Amarius. (Mims) has been practicing and continue to progress and get better. Where he is for this weekend’s game remains to be seen.”
Taylor said Mims was listed as “did not participate” on Friday because it was clear he would not be ready for Week 1 and the staff did not want to rush him. The first-round draft pick suffered the injury during the preseason opener.
“We’ll continue to see where it goes and how he’s feeling,” Taylor said. “You don’t want to rush into it too quickly. It’s a rookie you want to make sure is healthy. It’s a pec injury. That’s a big part of what he does. You got to be mindful. He has started to feel better and get into a groove in individual. We’ll be very mindful before we do full contact practicing.”
SUNDAY’S GAME
Bengals at Chiefs, 4:25 p.m., CBS, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
About the Author