Tee Higgins' Recovery Efforts Supported by the Cincinnati Bengals

When Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins suffered a knee sprain in Week 15 against the Minnesota Vikings, the team didn’t just focus on his physical healing—they rallied around him with a comprehensive support system, blending medical expertise, mental resilience resources, and team camaraderie to fuel his recovery. Higgins, a key red-zone threat and fan favorite, has been a linchpin of the Bengals’ passing offense this season, making his return critical for the team’s playoff aspirations. Tee Higgins' Recovery Efforts Supported by the Cincinnati Bengals explores how the Bengals’ personalized approach to recovery—from tailored training plans to locker room encouragement—has helped Higgins progress steadily, while keeping his spirits high amid the uncertainty of an injury. For the Bengals, supporting Higgins isn’t just about getting a star player back on the field; it’s about upholding the team’s culture of looking out for one another, on and off the gridiron.

Tee Higgins' Recovery Efforts Supported by the Cincinnati Bengals begins with the Bengals’ medical staff’s immediate response to the injury, which laid the groundwork for a structured recovery. Within hours of Higgins’ injury, the team’s athletic training team—led by head athletic trainer Paul Sparling—conducted a series of scans to diagnose the sprain’s severity (a mild Grade 1 MCL sprain, with no additional damage) and craft a day-by-day recovery plan. The initial phase focused on reducing swelling and protecting the knee: Higgins was fitted with a custom compression sleeve, given cryotherapy sessions twice daily to ease inflammation, and restricted to low-impact activities like swimming and stationary cycling to maintain cardiovascular fitness without straining the injury. “Our first priority was to prevent any further damage while keeping Tee’s body active,” Sparling explained. “MCL sprains heal best with controlled rest and gradual movement, so we built a plan that balances those two needs.” The medical staff also checked in with Higgins three times daily—morning, afternoon, and evening—to monitor pain levels and adjust the plan as needed, ensuring no small issue escalated into a setback. This attentive, data-driven approach helped Higgins move past the initial acute phase of recovery faster than expected, with swelling subsiding fully within five days.

Tee Higgins' Recovery Efforts Supported by the Cincinnati Bengals continues with the team’s focus on rebuilding strength and mobility, a phase led by the Bengals’ strength and conditioning coach, Jordan Kovacs. Once swelling reduced, Kovacs designed a targeted strength program to rebuild the muscles around Higgins’ knee—quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves—that act as support for the MCL. The program included bodyweight exercises like step-ups and glute bridges in the early stages, gradually adding resistance bands and light weights as Higgins gained stability. A key part of the plan was “functional movement” drills, where Higgins practiced football-specific motions—like cutting, jumping, and reaching for passes—at half-speed, to retrain his body to move safely in game-like scenarios. “We don’t just want Tee to be strong—we want him to feel confident in the movements he’ll need on the field,” Kovacs said. To make the drills engaging, Kovacs often invited Bengals quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Jake Browning to throw short passes to Higgins during sessions, turning strength work into a low-pressure practice. Higgins later noted that these drills helped him stay connected to the game, even when he couldn’t participate in full team practices. “Throwing with Joe and Jake made me feel like I was still part of the offense,” he said. “It kept me motivated to push through the tough parts of recovery.”

Tee Higgins' Recovery Efforts Supported by the Cincinnati Bengals shifts to the mental health support the Bengals provided, recognizing that injury recovery is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. The team connected Higgins with Dr. Michael Gervais, a sports psychologist who works with NFL players to manage the stress and frustration of being sidelined. Dr. Gervais met with Higgins twice weekly—once in person at the Bengals’ facility and once virtually—to talk through his feelings, set small, achievable recovery goals (like “complete 10 step-ups without pain” or “hold a single-leg balance for 30 seconds”), and use visualization techniques to help Higgins imagine returning to the field. “Injuries can make players feel like they’re letting their team down, which adds unnecessary pressure,” Dr. Gervais said. “We focused on reframing Tee’s mindset—instead of seeing this as a setback, we saw it as a chance to build strength he didn’t have before.” The Bengals also encouraged teammates to check in on Higgins beyond football: wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd often stopped by his locker to share funny practice stories or invite him to team dinners, while linebacker Logan Wilson—who had recovered from a shoulder injury earlier in the season—shared his own recovery tips. For the Cincinnati Bengals, this mental and emotional support was just as critical as physical therapy: it kept Higgins from feeling isolated and reminded him that the team was invested in his well-being, not just his ability to play.

Tee Higgins' Recovery Efforts Supported by the Cincinnati Bengals delves into how the Bengals adjusted team activities to keep Higgins involved, ensuring he stayed connected to the offense even while sidelined. During practice, Higgins sat in on offensive meetings, where he contributed insights on opponent defenses based on his film study—sharing notes on how cornerbacks tended to cover him, which helped Chase and Boyd adjust their routes. Head coach Zac Taylor also asked Higgins to lead a short “receivers’ huddle” before each practice, where he gave the group a quick pep talk or shared a tip from his own experience. “Keeping Tee involved in the playcalling and team meetings helps him stay sharp mentally,” Taylor said. “When he returns, he won’t have to play catch-up on our game plan—he’ll have been part of building it.” The Bengals also included Higgins in gameday activities, even when he couldn’t suit up: he stood on the sidelines during home games, wearing a headset to communicate with the receivers’ coach, and celebrated touchdowns with his teammates in the end zone. For the Cincinnati Bengals, these small inclusions were intentional: they reinforced that Higgins was still a key part of the team, even if he wasn’t on the field. “Being on the sidelines and cheering my guys on made me feel like I was contributing, even in a small way,” Higgins said. “It kept my competitive fire alive.”

Tee Higgins' Recovery Efforts Supported by the Cincinnati Bengals wraps up with the results of the Bengals’ support—Higgins’ steady progress and the team’s unified approach to his return. By Week 17, Higgins had advanced to full non-contact practice, participating in route-running drills and catching passes from Burrow without discomfort. The Bengals’ medical staff announced that he was “day-to-day” for the regular-season finale, with a strong chance of being cleared for the playoffs if the team advanced. Beyond the physical progress, the support Higgins received had a broader impact on the team: it strengthened the locker room bond, with players citing Higgins’ work ethic and the team’s collective support as a source of motivation. “Watching Tee grind through therapy every day, and seeing how we all came together to support him, made us a closer team,” Chase said. “It reminded us that we’re in this together—win, lose, or injured.” For the Cincinnati Bengals, supporting Higgins’ recovery was a reflection of their core values: teamwork, resilience, and care for one another. As Higgins prepared to potentially return to the field, he made it clear that the team’s support had been a driving force. “I couldn’t have done this without the Bengals—from the trainers to my teammates, everyone had my back,” he said. “Now I’m ready to get back out there and help this team win.” In the end, Tee Higgins' Recovery Efforts Supported by the Cincinnati Bengals is a story of how a team’s investment in a player’s well-being can turn an injury into an opportunity—for growth, for unity, and for a stronger return to the game they love.