Joe Burrow will have his full arsenal at wide receiver for the first time this season on Monday night.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins, who was ruled out of the first two games with a hamstring injury, is off the injury report and is set to play versus the Washington Commanders.
Higgins indicated this week he was "ready to go" after returning to practice for the first time since suffering the injury.
"That's my plan," Higgins said Friday, via the team's official website. "Practice went really well. Got in a lot of plays, so I felt good out there."
Higgins injured his hamstring during practice just ahead of the season opener. Burrow and Co. proceeded to struggle in Week 1, gaining just 224 total yards of offense in a disappointing 16-10 loss at home against the New England Patriots. The Bengals saw better results on offense against the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday but fell to the defending champions on a walk-off field goal in the closing seconds, 26-25.
Higgins has been an integral part of Cincinnati's rise in recent seasons. The big-bodied receiver is a nightmare matchup for any defensive back and Higgins has taken advantage, posting consecutive 1,000-yard plus seasons in Years 2 and 3 while also becoming a major contributor during the Bengals' most recent postseason runs.
The Higgins-Burrow connection hasn't been seen since Week 9 of last season, however, due to Burrow's season-ending wrist injury in 2023. The fifth-year WR isn't worried about any rust with his quarterback after a good week of practice, though.
"I've still got that chemistry down with Joe," Higgins said. "Today at practice it felt good out there. It wasn't a step back, so just keep going."
The presence of Higgins comes at an ideal time as the Bengals look to earn their first win of the 2024 season. It should also allow more opportunity for Burrow's No. 1 wideout, Ja'Marr Chase, who's drawn plenty of double-team coverage through the first two games.
"We've got to take advantage of the moments that we get (practicing as an intact group) in front of us right now," Chase said on Friday. "I'm just ready to make the big play, that one big play that's going to give me all my confidence, the team's confidence, coaches' confidence, and everyone is going to feel good … It's been good just knowing (Higgins is) back, having him with good energy and just having the boys back out there. That's all it is. Feels good again."
Cincinnati (0-2) hosts the Commanders (1-1) at 5:15 p.m. ET as part of a "Monday Night Football" doubleheader.
