Tee Higgins missed preseason finale due to back tightness

Higgins “absolutely” would’ve played had the game had any importance.

With both Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd in the lineup for the Cincinnati Bengals in their preseason loss to the Miami Dolphins, fans were expecting to see star second-year receiver Tee Higgins as well.

A bit perplexed when he wasn’t in the lineup, following the game, we learned that he was dealing with back tightness, per ESPN’s Ben Baby.

But, not to worry, as head coach Zac Taylor did note Higgins would’ve played had it been a regular-season game.

With preseason tune-ups not overly important and the trio having a ton of work with second-year quarterback Joe Burrow in training camp, missing Higgins shouldn’t be overly concerning, especially in terms of the team chemistry.

Higgins is an important piece of this offense, so him being at full strength is very crucial. With the team squaring off against the Minnesota Vikings to open the season in just two weekends, having their versatile deep threat will have a huge impact on their overall success.

Formerly a Clemson Tigers star, Higgins was the team’s second-round pick last season. The 6-foot-4 22-year-old put up 908 yards on 108 targets and 67 receptions. He was an iron man as a rookie as well, playing in all 16 games.

While it was concerning not to see him, it’s better that in a meaningless game than risk any further injury. For now, fully expect him to be on the field in Week 1.