Zac Taylor on Joe Burrow's rehab, Tee Higgins participation in Bengals' offseason program

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor conducted his first team meeting of the voluntary offseason program on Monday. As players gathered for the first phase of the workout program, Taylor’s message sets the tone for what the team is hoping to accomplish over the next two weeks.

With the NFL draft a week away and now the players returning for workouts, it’s a busy time for the Bengals.

“We (get) to reintroduce some of our new players and our players that have been back like Vonn Bell, so that's exciting,” Taylor said of his message in the first team meeting. “We got some new coaches that we need to make our guys aware of. We've added some new faces to that group as well, so I'm excited about it.”

Taylor addressed a number of topics, including an update on the health of star quarterback Joe Burrow, wide receiver Tee Higgins’ involvement in the program, the future of Dax Hill and more.

How is Joe Burrow’s wrist and is he going to participate in the offseason workout program?

So far, so good. As Taylor has stated all offseason, everything is “positive” with Burrow’s recovery from wrist surgery in November. Taylor confirmed he is tracking to be able to participate in everything he typically would if he wasn’t injured. The Bengals don’t start their organized team activities (OTAs) until early June, this gives Burrow even more time to get comfortable throwing again.

Taylor said Burrow’s past injuries have helped him navigate the rehab process. The sixth-year head coach said he’s been asked about Burrow’s health “hundreds of times” this offseason.

“He he's a big part of what we're doing and I obviously understand the concern everybody has, but the guy has been through some rehab processes so he knows how to attack it,” Taylor said of Burrow. “He knows how to get his body back right where it needs to be and so excited to see what the season will bring for him.”

Are the Bengals expecting wide receiver Tee Higgins to participate in the offseason program?

The only mandatory part of the NFL offseason program is minicamp in mid-June. So, are the Bengals expecting Tee Higgins to participate in any of the program after requesting a trade this offseason?

Taylor wasn’t interested in commenting on which players will and won’t be in attendance and that includes Higgins.

“I won't speculate who's going to be here for the voluntary program,” Taylor said. "As far as what the communication between and Taylor and Higgins have been like since the season ended, Taylor said “we’ll keep everything internal with our players.”After the Bengals officially applied the franchise tag on Higgins at the end of February, the 25-year-old responded with a trade request. Despite his desire to place elsewhere recently, Taylor and the Bengals remain excited about what Higgins can do in Cincinnati this year.

“We’re excited for Tee to have a great year for us,” Taylor said in March. “We think he’s our best chance to help us win a Super Bowl. I’ve enjoyed working with Tee the last four years, I expect this year to be no different.”

Higgins and the Bengals failed to reach an agreement on a long-term extension prior to last season.

For Higgins, the trade request stems from the fact he would prefer to have a long-term deal in place at this time after just completing his fourth season in the NFL. When Higgins signs the tag, the Bengals will pay him $21.8 million for one season which is the franchise tag amount for wide receivers in 2024.

What is the Bengals' plan for Dax Hill?

Where Dax Hill will play in the upcoming season remains one of the most pressing questions the Bengals face this offseason. After an up and down first season as a starter at safety, the Bengals went out and signed two safeties in free agency in Geno Stone and Vonn Bell.

Taylor kept the details to a minimum but says the coaching staff has a plan in place for how they plan to feature Hill. This offseason will be an important one for the former first-round pick because he’ll likely practice at cornerback and safety as they try to figure out where his future home is.

Hill played slot cornerback at the University of Michigan and can play outside cornerback as well.

“We've had a pretty good idea in our minds, and we'll let the off season play out with that before we get into it here but feel comfortable with our communication with Dax and where that all stands,” Taylor said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow, WR Tee Higgins updates