After a season in which he missed two stretches of games because of soft-tissue muscle injuries, Higgins is trying to change up his routine and studying better methods of prevention. Last year, he looked into the studies Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson underwent to discover the source of his injuries, and Higgins said Tuesday he has been analyzing the issue with his personal trainer, David Alexander, out of Miami.
“I looked into it, just been doing a lot of things with my trainer and just trying to prevent those injuries from happening,” Higgins said.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Last season while playing on a franchise tag, Higgins had what he felt was his best training camp but ended up missing the first two games with a hamstring issue and then was sidelined three games in the middle of the year with a quadriceps injury.
In 2023, a hamstring problem kept Higgins off the field for four games.
Higgins didn’t go into details about what he and his trainer discovered in terms of possible causes for the injuries, but the sixth-year player made some changes to his practice routine in 2024 and more tweaks could be on the way.
The Bengals managed him midweek and limited his practice time during the second half of the season, and that allowed him to play the final seven games. Now, Higgins is switching up his pre-practice routine to emphasize more stretching and less tension on the muscles.
“Just get my muscles right, make sure I know what I’m doing muscles-wise,” Higgins said, when asked what he focused on this offseason. “I did a lot of everything. I was on the track a lot. I was in the weight room, a lot weightlifting.”
Higgins’ injury history was a big talking point as he sought a long-term deal the past two years, but that didn’t keep quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase from both publicly and privately pushing for the organization to extend his stay. The numbers back up his importance to the offense, as well.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
In 12 games last season, Higgins had 73 catches for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns, but his value showed perhaps even more when he was not on the field. The Bengals ranked 21st in the NFL in Expected Points Added per play without Higgins, according to ESPN Research, and with him on the field, they would have ranked at least fourth in the league in that category.
Higgins signed a four-year deal worth $115 million in March.
Higgins believes the Bengals offense will be even better in 2025 when – not if, he said – he stays on the field. In four of his five seasons, he has topped 900 yards, twice reaching the 1,000 yards receiving mark. His best two seasons statistically were in 2021 and 2022 when he missed no more than two games and helped Cincinnati win back-to-back AFC North titles, make a pair of AFC Championship appearances and earn a trip to the Super Bowl.
“There’s always a next step,” Higgins said. “I feel like there’s always a next step until, shoot, if I’m in the Hall of Fame. If I ain’t there, then that’s always a next step for sure.”
“I mean, that’s any guy’s goal that’s playing, to be one of the greats,” Higgins added. “But right now, my goal is to put my best foot forward to help this team win and do what they paid me to do.”
Higgins is enjoying being able to focus on that, rather than protecting himself while trying to get a long-term deal. This time last year, he was doing all of his workouts on his own and he didn’t join the team until training camp.
The Bengals also were missing Chase during that time, and up until two weeks before the 2024 opener, as he was negotiating a long-term deal that finally got done this offseason. Both players have been around all offseason this year, investing into a better 2025.
“Still a lot more work to be done from both of us, from the whole offense, from the whole team, and we looking forward to doing that,” Higgins said.
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