Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has returned to the NFL's concussion protocol following symptoms that emerged after a head injury during the team's Week 14 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Despite being cleared to play multiple times during the game, Higgins' situation has sparked backlash against the league's handling of the incident. The 26-year-old receiver emphasized his commitment to the team in postgame comments.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins sustained a head injury during Sunday's Week 14 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Higgins, who had previously been carted off the field after a concussion in Week 12's loss to the New England Patriots and missed Week 13 while progressing through the protocol, returned for Week 14. During the game against the Bills, he slammed his head on the turf multiple times and was evaluated for a concussion. Independent NFL neurologists cleared him to return to action on each occasion.
However, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced on Monday that Higgins began experiencing concussion symptoms after the game, prompting his re-entry into the league's concussion protocol. This development has drawn significant criticism from fans regarding the NFL's decision to allow Higgins to continue playing. One fan wrote, 'Terrible for him. He should not have been allowed to continue playing. NFL did him wrong here, regardless if he wanted to continue to play.' Another stated, 'Letting him back in that game was egregious.' Additional comments highlighted concerns, with one saying, 'Anyone watching this game could tell he was concussed. I have no idea how he was allowed to keep playing.'
In a postgame press conference on Sunday, Higgins explained his mindset, saying, 'I’m a soldier. Soldiers take hits. You know, it happens. It’s football. It’s the name of the game. But you’ve got to get up. Next play mentality.' He added, 'I didn’t think about that at all. I’m a team-first guy. You know what I mean? My team needed me, you know, I feel like they did. So I went out there and played. Tried to dog it out with my team.'
The 4-9 Bengals are now preparing for their Week 15 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens as Higgins works through the protocol once more. The team faces an uphill battle in the AFC North, where they hold a slim 3.1% chance to win the division according to projections.
