Bengals' Tee Higgins: I Don't Get Why Fans Would Think I'm Faking Hamstring Injury

Tee Higgins is adamant he is not faking his hamstring injury because of his contract situation and doesn't understand why some fans would suggest that is the case.

"I just don't understand why fans think I'm faking an injury, when for me to get an extension for a contract, the deadline is over," Higgins told ESPN's Ben Baby on Thursday. "I just don't understand why they think I'm faking an injury. It doesn't make sense to me."

Baby noted the deadline for teams to agree to long-term deals with players who are on the franchise tag was July 15. Since it passed, Cincinnati and Higgins cannot negotiate until the end of the season after he was tagged this past offseason.

The Clemson product was sidelined for the season-opening loss to the New England Patriots because of the hamstring ailment and has not practiced since Sept. 5. While it remains to be seen whether he will be available for the Week 2 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, his practice status is not encouraging along those lines.

"I want to go out there and give my teammates a 100% of Tee Higgins, you know what I'm saying?" Higgins said. "I don't want to give them 50% and half-ass it just to be a presence on the field."

He also explained the overall timeline of the injury that has kept him out.

"I prepare myself to go out here and dominate, start of Week 1," Higgins said. "Unfortunately, four days before the game, I have a hamstring tweak that I didn't think was as bad, so I made the comments I did after [practice].

"I didn't think it was bad until obviously I got it checked on the next day. It was worse than what I thought."

As Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network noted, hamstring injuries are nothing new for the receiver:

Given that history, it is difficult to think Higgins is faking the latest setback. This is a recurring issue he has dealt with throughout his career, and his frustration with the situation was fairly clear in his Thursday comments.

What's more, it would greatly benefit him to play as many games as possible this season and put up impressive numbers.

After all, he will be looking for a new contract next offseason from either the Bengals or another team. Teams will likely be less inclined to give him a head-turning offer if he is coming off an injury-plagued 2024 season, especially if he is unable to put up solid numbers because of the physical concerns.

The best thing he can do for his future earnings potential is play and produce at a high level, and he cannot do that while he is sidelined with an injury.