Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is both a great coach and friend of Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, so he’s seen the rise of former Tiger Tee Higgins first-hand.
From watching him at Clemson to coaching against him as a Bengal, Tomlin has seen the damage Higgins does to defenses and had great things to say after the Steelers narrowly escaped Cincinnati Dec.1.
#Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on CB Joey Porter Jr.’s penalty-filled game.
“Tee Higgins’ got a lot to do with that. Tee is a goon. He is. You can’t let him beat you up.” pic.twitter.com/H8AlSN4ihw
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) December 1, 2024
“Tee is a goon. He is,” Tomlin said. “You can’t let him beat you up while at the same time, the officials are going to call it the way they’re going to call it.”
In other words, Higgins is already an elite receiver and with favorable officiating, he became a nightmare for Joey Porter Jr. and Pittsburgh. He finished the game with five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown.
While the Bengals are having a disappointing season, Higgins has scored four touchdowns in his last three games. The price keeps going up for the Clemson product in a contract year.
Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports