Bengals WR Tee Higgins Talks Emotions, Gratitude and Mistakes After What Could Be His Final Home Game with Team

Jay Morrison | Dec 28, 2024

Dec 28, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) walks off the field after the victory over the Denver Broncos at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – Tee Higgins made two big mistakes Saturday night in what might have been his final game at Paycor Stadium as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.

But no one is going to remember either one of his miscues.

Not after Higgins caught a career-high three touchdown passes, including the walkoff game-winner in overtime to lift the Bengals to a wild 30-24 victory against the Denver Broncos.

The only mistake anyone is going to remember after watching that performance would be the Bengals failing to re-sign Higgins, if that’s how it plays out.

“If this is his last game, he went out with a bang,” teammate Ja’Marr Chase said. “But that’s a big ‘if.’”

Higgins, who is playing on the franchise tag this season, was well aware this could be his last home game as a member of the organization.

He tried not to think about it, but after catching a 3-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to win the game -- the first offensive TD in overtime in franchise history -- he said he took a moment to soak it all in.

“I hope not, but that could have been my last game in the stripes here,” he said. “This game meant a lot more to me coming into it. Definitely a surreal feeling.

“At the end of the game when I scored the game winner I was like, 'man.’ Shout out to Cincy.”

There was a lot of discussion early in the season – and again at the midway point – about Higgins’ nagging injuries that have forced him to miss 15 games in his five seasons with the team.

But after being limited in all three practices this week with knee and ankle injuries, Higgins played 67 percent of the snaps and caught 11 passes for 131 yards and the three touchdowns.

“He’s a warrior,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “He is fighting through a lot there and just keeps rolling out there. Keeps winning these one on ones, and that game winner was a play we talked about after one of the first red zone drives that were tough. So it was just give Tee a one-on-one on the same route Ja’Marr scored against Pittsburgh in the opener a couple years ago down here at the buzzer.”

Higgins scored the first touchdown of the game on a 2-yard pass from Burrow with 1:49 left before halftime.

That’s when he made his first mistake.

Higgins tossed the ball to a fan in the stands. It was Burrow’s 40th touchdown pass of the season, a mark that’s only been reached 20 times in NFL history and never by a Cincinnati quarterback.

“I did? Oh, my bad,” Higgins said when informed of it after the game. I didn't know that. I was in the moment right there.”

Higgins added his second touchdown on a 12-yard reception from Burow with 11:33 remaining, giving Cincinnati a 17-10 lead.

A few minutes later, he made his second mistake when he lost a fumble at the Denver 40-yard line after picking up a first down on third and 4.

“Yeah, that hurt,” Higgins said. “That hurt because that's not me. I came back to the sideline apologizing to everybody. They were like 'You good. It's gonna come back to you.'

“Shout out Jermaine Burton,” Higgins continued. “He said, 'Bro, you good. It's gonna come back to you, and you're gonna win it for us.' And sure enough.”

Higgins’ 11 receptions were one shy of his career high.

The 131 yards rank sixth on his career list.

And the three touchdown catches make him just the 11 player in franchise history to do it, joining Carl Pickens (four times), Chad Johnson (three times), Chase (three times), Issac Curtis (twice), A.J. Green, Bob Trumpy, Marvin Jones, Samaje Perine and Tyler Eifert.

It was only a few weeks ago that Burrow said, “Tee is a need” when addressing his uncertain future with the team.

Saturday night, Burrow threw more praise at Higgins.

“Tee came up big,” he said. “He was unbelievable today.

“Everybody can see what kind of player he is,” Burrow added. “He elevates us to a different level when he’s playing like that.”

Chase kept yelling “Pay the man” when Higgins was talking to reporters after the game, and the fact that Higgins severed ties with agent David Mulugheta and teamed up Chase’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, has renewed hope that the Bengals can find a way to keep Higgins while also paying Chase and continuing to pay Burrow.

But it’s still going to take some creative structuring with the salary cap, and nothing is certain.

Higgins had that running through his mind on the way to the game.

"Just walking into the stadium, that's what I was thinking,” he said. “It's a possibility. You never know what happens in the future.

“If it is, go out with a bang, you know what I mean."

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