Bengals hope to get Shemar Stewart back this week. Tee Higgins in concussion protocol

By Canadian Press on December 10, 2025.

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals are hoping to get one important player back on the field this week while keeping another from exiting the lineup.

Rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart practiced Wednesday for the first time since suffering a knee injury Nov. 2 against Chicago, and there is optimism the team will activate him from injured reserve for Sunday’s game against Baltimore.

The Bengals listed Stewart, who has missed the last four games and eight overall, as a full participant. He sounded confident he will play Sunday.

“Playing four games in a row is going to be a big, big confidence booster,” said Stewart, who also missed four games with an ankle injury. “Coming in and playing two games, then being hurt second game, then coming back five weeks later and getting hurt immediately after that game, it’s not great for nobody’s confidence, especially somebody like me that’s never been hurt ever.

“I never missed a game in college. I never missed a practice in college,” he added. “Coming in here and missing 10 weeks is just hard on the mental.”

The mentality of injury is weighing on wide receiver Tee Higgins, who is dealing with his second concussion in three games.

Higgins is in the concussion protocol, making his outlook for Sunday cloudier than Stewart’s.

Higgins suffered his first concussion in the Nov. 23 loss to New England when he hit the back of his head on the turf after a leaping attempt for a reception. Higgins admitted the impact knocked him out.

He missed the Thanksgiving night game in Baltimore four days later but returned Sunday at Buffalo, only to hit the back of his head in almost the same manner in the first quarter.

The league’s independent neurologist cleared Higgins to return, but he hit his head again in the third quarter and was removed for another inspection in the medical tent.

Again, the independent neurologist cleared him, and Higgins returned to finish the game.

But Higgins reported symptoms Sunday evening and again Monday morning and re-entered the protocol, prompting the NFL and NFL Players Association to issue a joint statement.

“Tee Higgins was evaluated twice in game and cleared to return,” the league and the union said. “After the game, in discussion with club medical personnel as part of a postgame evaluation, he notified the team he was experiencing symptoms and was immediately placed in the concussion protocol.”

The next step for Higgins will be a full, non-contact practice, then he would need clearance from an independent neurologist on Friday or Saturday to be able to play Sunday against the Ravens.

A loss could eliminate the Bengals (4-9) from the playoffs, and one coupled with a Pittsburgh win against Miami on Monday would make it a certainty.

Irrespective of their slim postseason chances, the Bengals want to get Stewart back on the field in order to get him as many reps as possible before the season ends, especially with star defensive end Trey Hendrickson out for the season.

Stewart missed offseason activities and the first few days of training camp because of a contract dispute.

The ankle and knee injuries have cost him 2 1/2 months of practice time in addition to the game snaps.

“We’ve got high expectations for him, and he’s worked really hard to meet those and has done everything he can do,” coach Zac Taylor said. “Unfortunately, he had the setback with the injury. It’s nothing he can control.

“I don’t think there’s a pressure to see anything from him in the next four weeks,” Taylor added. “We’ll see how he feels as practice goes this week. If he’s able to get in a game this week, just keep progressing him, keep improving. That’s the biggest thing.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Jay Morrison, The Associated Press

25
-24