Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins will return from his second concussion of the season to play in Sunday’s game against the host Miami Dolphins.
Higgins cleared concussion protocol and was a full participant in practice on Friday. He had been listed as questionable to play against Miami before he was labeled as active.
ESPN reported that the Bengals (4-10) were interested in seeing how Higgins felt on Sunday morning before formally announcing his availability to play against the Dolphins (6-8).
Higgins, 26, sustained his initial concussion on Nov. 23 after smacking his head on the turf during Cincinnati’s 26-20 loss to the New England Patriots. He sat out the Bengals’ next game four days later before returning on Dec. 7, when he had six catches for a team-high 92 yards and two touchdowns in Cincinnati’s 39-34 setback to the Buffalo Bills.
He reeled in his second touchdown grab on a snowy afternoon on a 25-yard lob from Joe Burrow with 2:13 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Higgins has totaled 46 catches for 667 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns in 12 appearances this season.
While Higgins is active, the Bengals listed the following players as inactive for Sunday’s game: Jake Browning (emergency third quarterback), wide receiver Charlie Jones, cornerback Bralyn Lux, safety PJ Jules, defensive end Joseph Ossai, tight end Noah Fant and defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson.
As for the Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa will serve as the team’s emergency third quarterback while rookie Quinn Ewers makes his first career NFL start.
Miami also listed wide receivers Tahj Washington and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, cornerback Isaiah Johnson, offensive tackle Kendall Lamm and defensive tackle Matthew Butler as inactive.
