Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, who missed last Thursday night's win in Baltimore with a concussion, appeared for Wednesday's practice on the Paycor Stadium field.
Head coach Zac Taylor called Higgins limited as he "works through," concussion protocol. He also said defensive end Trey Hendrickson (hip/pelvis) wouldn't practice Wednesday.
Higgins jogged into a brisk 31 degrees as Taylor prepares his team for the Western New York chill of Sunday's game (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s FOX 19) in Orchard Park, N.Y. Forecasts for the Joe Burrow Bengals' second trip to Buffalo is about the same.
"Perfect," said linebacker Barrett Carter, just before he hit the field in front of defensive end Joseph Ossai questioning his own decision to wear shorts.
Indications are Taylor is going to go back outside Thursday and stick with his Friday routine of working in the IEL Indoor facility.
"I like to be outside every week, not every day necessarily, but at some point," Taylor said before practice. "I told our players. 'Great news. It's going to be cold in Buffalo. It's going to be cold here in the next couple of weeks.' They were excited to get out there and work in the elements. We're always very mindful of where we're going to play and how we need to practice, and I like to get outside. Players like being outside at least part of the week. I don't like to be inside every day."
Vote For Kenny
News that popular Bengals Ring of Honor member Ken Anderson had made the Pro Football Hall of Fame 2026 final ballot got rave reviews at Paycor, led by Taylor's enthusiastic endorsement. He and Anderson have developed a bond as fellow quarterbacks and keepers of the franchise flame.
"I'm a big fan of Ken Anderson. He's always been great to me through the goods times and the bad," Taylor said. "He's an example of when we struggled, he was there genuinely supporting me and the direction we were headed."
True Bengals fan, Taylor.
"He absolutely should have been in the Hall of Fame a long time ago. He should absolutely be in now. Statistically, he's in a better position than a lot of people who are in," Tayor said. "NFL MVP, Man of the Year, led his team to a Super Bowl. All the great performances. Completion percentage, everything he's done statistically. He should be in it right now."
Award Right On Money (Mac)
Taylor also saluted kicker Evan McPherson for taking home the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after his 6-for-6 outing in Baltimore left him with a career-high 88.5 field goal percentage.
He has lived up to his nickname of Money Mac this season with a current skein of 10 straight and his last miss coming off a 54-yarder with a non-kicking ball.
"I have a ton of confidence in him," Taylor said. "I can't think of one moment of, 'Oh, should we go for this? No, Evan's going to make a 50-something yarder.' I don't feel like there's been as many decisions as maybe past years. It feels that way.
"But he's playing with a ton of confidence. You see it at practice, too. I mean, that's what you all don't see. He's doing this at practice. He's been doing this since training camp. The same consistency and then going out there in the game and giving our team a lot of confidence."
