The Cincinnati Bengals kept their postseason hopes alive for at least one more day thanks to a 19-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night. Making the feat more impressive is the fact that they managed to hold off a late rally from the Steelers despite not having one of their top playmakers on the field in Tee Higgins for most of the second half.
Higgins has been battling an ankle injury in recent weeks, but it didn't stop him from putting together arguably the best game of his career in Week 17 against the Denver Broncos, when he hauled in 11 passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns. While he managed four catches for 53 yards against the Steelers, Higgins couldn't play down the stretch of this one, which was concerning to fans. After the victory, Higgins revealed he's been playing through a high-ankle sprain, and that he will continue to do so if the Bengals find their way into the playoffs.
“Bengals WR Tee Higgins revealed tonight that he has been playing through a high-ankle sprain, and he will play through it should Cincy make it to the postseason. ‘I have no choice,' Higgins said,” Jordan Schultz shared in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Bengals will need Tee Higgins on the field if the playoffs are in their future

While Cincy is still alive for the time being, Saturday's game could have been their final one of the season. The Bengals now need both the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins to lose in order to find their way into the postseason, so they will be anxiously watching the action on Sunday to see if they will be playing next week. That includes Higgins, who is trying to get himself a bit healthier despite dealing with a pretty serious ankle injury.
The fact that Higgins couldn't finish this game against the Steelers isn't a good sign for his hopes of being able to stay on the field in the playoffs, but he seems intent on playing if the season goes on. For now, all he and his teammates can do is sit back and hope they make it in, as they will be pulling for the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets to beat the Broncos and Dolphins in Week 18.