The Cincinnati Bengals won’t have two of their biggest players on either side of the ball for Thursday night’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Wednesday, the Bengals announced both star safety Jessie Bates and wideout Tee Higgins will be out for the primetime game on Thursday. Corner Chidobe Awuzie gets a doubtful tag, while Trae Waynes will finally make his debut with the team.
Bates, one of the league’s best safeties, is a huge loss for the defense. He popped up unannounced on Monday’s report with a neck issue and didn’t practice all week. Higgins continues to deal with a shoulder issue that held him out of last weekend’s win over the Steelers.
Ja’Marr Chase, at least, more than made up for Higgins’ absence last week. There’s no replacing Bates, though fans will surely love to see Waynes for the first time after he missed all of last season and the first three games of this year after signing with the team in free agency.
No Bates or Higgins. Su’a-Filo and Awuzie doubtful pic.twitter.com/Z4XCqMOhLH
— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonATH) September 29, 2021
