CINCINNATI — The Bengals only have a few days between Sunday's tough loss to the Texans and Thursday's primetime match-up with division rivals the Baltimore Ravens.
That means less time for Cincinnati's injured players to rest and recover.
While the team did not practice Monday due to its shortened week, Tee Higgins, Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson were all listed as "DNP" on the Bengals' estimated injury report. Receiver Andrei Iosivas (knee) and D.J. Reader (rest) were also listed as estimated non-participants.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that it's "considered unlikely" that Higgins will be able to return in time from a hamstring injury he sustained in practice last week.
On a short week with a Thursday night game vs. the Ravens in Baltimore, it’s considered unlikely that Bengals’ WR Tee Higgins will be able to return from his hamstring injury, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2023
When asked about the possibility of Higgins and Hubbard — who both missed the Texans game — playing Thursday, coach Zac Taylor told reporters the week will "be short, tough. We'll see."
Hendrickson's status is also up in the air after NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that an MRI confirmed he hyperextended his knee Sunday when Texans receiver Noah Brown fell into his leg. Taylor said Hendrickson is considered "day-to-day."
"Obviously, short week is always challenging, but we'll see how it goes," Taylor said.
If Hubbard and Hendrickson do not play, Taylor said the team expects the next guys up to "step up."
"That's why we've invested in the position ... this is the NFL, the injury situation is never going to be perfect for any of the teams you're playing against or for ourselves," Taylor said.
One positive heading into Thursday's game is receiver Ja'Marr Chase's status. Taylor said it was "good to see" things moving forward after Chase dealt with some back soreness last week.
While the shortened week is not ideal for a divisional game, Taylor isn't worried about the transition.
"This is a team that's always done a good job of that, refocusing and knowing what's important ... these guys will be excited for the opportunity and, again, we're still early in the process of getting through Monday but I've got no fear that our guys will be ready to go once Thursday rolls around," Taylor said.
The Bengals take on the Ravens at 8:15 p.m. Thursday in Baltimore. While the game is available on Prime Video, fans in the Tri-State can watch Thursday's game for free on WCPO 9.
