Wide receiver Tee Higgins found himself in hot waters for all the wrong reasons last week. After reporting a hamstring injury just before Week 1, the story caught fire online, accusing him of faking it. Now, with the talk gaining steam, things have only gotten worse for him!

As per Cincinnati Bengals‘ X post, the player has been listed as inactive. This suggests that Higgins will not be playing on Sunday, as inactive players cannot dress for the upcoming match-ups. And as per the rules, you’ll definitely want to bench inactive players in all your fantasy lineups, no matter the format.

While the Bengals are all set for the face-off with the Chiefs, the team would surely miss the NFL’s top young receiver. However, the news didn’t come as a surprise to the team, as the Head Coach earlier spilled beans on it. On Friday, Zac Taylor hinted that Higgins is “doubtful” about playing on the weekend.

And not only the injury but the wide receiver’s absence from the gridiron has also been linked with his contract situation hanging in the balance! He was all set to play before his name suddenly popped up on the injury report last Thursday.

But this week, Higgins made it clear he was not ‘faking’ his hamstring to avoid playing under the franchise tag. He is pushing back on any rumors suggesting he is sitting out for reasons apart from his injury. But what is the CFP national champion’s fake injury and contract issue?

Did Tee Higgins fake injury amid contract issues

While Tee Higgins was hoping for a long-term contract this off-season, he ended up landing a one-year franchise tag. However, the wide receiver is shutting down any talk that mentions his absence is tied to his deal. As per the Bengals’ player, he has been sidelined from the game because of a hamstring injury he suffered during practice on September 5.

And there is a twist! When fans speculated that the player was walking off because of contract issues, Higgins quickly set the record straight! He told ESPN, “I just don’t understand why fans think I’m faking an injury.” The two times thousand-yard receiver mentioned that the deal extension deadline has already passed, so even if he fakes things, it doesn’t make any sense.

Higgins was tagged with a $21.8 million franchise deal this offseason, preventing him from testing the market. Since the deadline for an extension has passed, sitting out doesn’t offer him any advantage—making those rumors seem even more far-fetched.

However, with the player missing two crucial match-ups, let’s see what the future holds for Tee Higgins!