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Ben Baby, ESPN Staff Writer
CINCINNATI — The Bengals could be without two key offensive starters for a game that will be crucial for their playoff hopes.
Wide receiver Tee Higgins and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. will both be listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, coach Zac Taylor said after Friday’s practice. Neither Higgins nor Brown practiced all week after dealing with injuries. Higgins has been out since he injured a quadricep last Friday and missed a Week 8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Brown re-aggravated a right knee injury that knocked him out of Week 7’s win over the Browns.
If Brown can’t start, it will be only the second game in his seven-year career that he will miss. As a member of Kansas City, the four-time Pro Bowler did not face the Bengals in Week 17 of the 2021 season.
Should Higgins not be able to go, rookie Jermaine Burton could continue to see his workload increase. The third-round pick out of Alabama had a season-high 24 snaps against the Eagles.
Taylor said Burton has made progress in recent weeks and is among those who could fill the void if Higgins can’t play.
“I think Jermaine has made progress to where we get more and more confident with him every week in the scheme and he’s getting more comfort with the quarterback,” Taylor told reporters.
On Thursday, Burton was eager to take advantage of any increase in snaps after his usage was minimal through the first seven games of the season.
“I feel like I’ve just been the same,” Burton said. “I’ve just been waiting [for] my turn, my opportunity. I just told myself whatever opportunity I get, I don’t care when it is, just make the best of it.”
If Higgins can’t play against the Raiders (2-6), it will be the fourth game he has missed of Cincinnati’s nine contests this season. He also missed the first two games of the year with a hamstring injury.
Higgins is playing this season on the one-year franchise tag and is set to become a free agent at the end of this season. Earlier in the week, Taylor indicated the team was likely going to stand pat ahead of next Tuesday’s trade deadline.
“The team that we’ve got is the team that we’re going to continue to coach and believe in these guys,” Taylor said.