Tee Higgins and Bryan Cook have been cleared to play, per Adam Schefter, as the Bengals prepare to face the Dolphins on Sunday. Ja'Marr Chase will also be active. Both Higgins and Cook carried questionable designations heading into the game, but Cincinnati's injury situation broke favorably before kickoff.
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The availability matters for a Bengals team fighting to climb back above .500. Cincinnati has lost its last two games—22-17 to Jacksonville on October 4 and 30-27 at Pittsburgh the week prior—and sits at 2-2 in the AFC North standings. Miami, by contrast, is winless at 0-4 and has dropped four straight, most recently 15-10 at Minnesota. Both clubs are desperate for a win, though the Dolphins face a steeper hole.
Cook has recorded 12 tackles, 9 solo, in three games played this season. Higgins, in four games, has yet to register a catch, though his availability on the field adds depth to Cincinnati's receiving corps alongside Chase and the rest of the passing attack. Cook's presence in the secondary matters more directly: his play can help stabilize a defense asked to contain Miami's offense.
The Bengals' injury picture cleared just in time. How the three perform against a Dolphins team searching for its first victory will shape Cincinnati's path forward as the season progresses.
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