Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals did their part to secure a playoff berth by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular-season finale. Wide receiver Tee Higgins returned despite drawing a questionable tag on the injury report, but he suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter, finishing the game with four catches for 53 receiving yards.
Following the win over Pittsburgh, Burrow talked about Higgins’ role in the team.
Joe Burrow on the Bengals Offseason Goals
In order to secure the AFC’s last playoff spot, the Bengals (9-8) need the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins to lose. PFN’s Playoff Predictor gives Burrow and Co. an 11.3% chance of it.
While Cincinnati awaits its fate in the NFL‘s final regular-season week, it also needs to focus on its hero in the Week 17 win over the Broncos. Against Denver, Higgins recorded 131 receiving yards on 11 catches (12 targets) and three touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.
“[Me and Higgins] started this whole thing together. We came in together [in the 2020 NFL Draft] and built this thing from the ground up. You don’t want to make a habit of letting great players get out of the building,” Burrow said.
“Like I said earlier in the week, Tee’s a great player. A guy that does everything the right way and works really hard for it. When you have a guy like that, you just can’t let him get out of the building,” Burrow added.
Higgins has been struggling with his ankle and knee injuries throughout the season. He was sidelined in Cincinnati’s first two games due to a hamstring injury. Then, his quad injury forced him out from Weeks 7-9.
Likewise, in Week 11, Higgins suffered a blow to his back from Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman. Higgins again hurt his ankle against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16, yet he returned to the field in both games.
What’s Next for Tee Higgins?
The Bengals drafted Higgins in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s now in his fifth season with the Bengals, currently playing on a $21.8 million franchise tag after the two parties couldn’t previously agree on a long-term extension.
Higgins opened up about the deal to the press on Wednesday, saying, “It’s my third time going through it. I kind of know what to expect, how negotiations work. Obviously, it’s gonna be a little different because possibly I could make a little bit more money. Hopefully that’s the case.”
“I can make a little bit more money. Hopefully, that’s the case. Like I said, I’m just going to talk with my agent,” he added.
Burrow has hinted towards the possibility of Higgins leaving the Bengals, but he added that it’s not in the plans.
Prior to Cincinnati’s Week 18 win, Burrow has been a top-five quarterback based on PFN’s QB+ metric. With a score of 92.1 (A- grade), he has Higgins and leading receiver Ja’Marr Chase mostly to thank for it. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the Bengals’ subpar defense for much of the season, Burrow could very well be in the MVP conversation, given his impressive numbers on the year.
Nevertheless, Cincinnati would not like to let go of their two-time 1,000-yard receiver for nothing.