With Cincinnati’s season opener approaching, Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase remains hampered by a knee injury that he sustained at practice last week.
Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters Tuesday that Chase will be limited at practice this week as the Bengals turn the page from the preseason to preparing for their season opener.
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Taylor also said that wide receiver Tee Higgins is dealing with a heel contusion. He expects that both of them “will be good at the end of week.” The Bengals will open their season on Sept. 13 at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Here’s the play from practice on Aug. 25 in which Chase injured his left knee. He fell down clutching his knee after landing awkwardly on it while attempting to make a catch. He stood up briefly after initially crawling on it, then immediately sat down on the sideline.
Chase remained on the practice field and was seen walking and laughing with his teammates after the injury, but did not finish the day’s session. He downplayed the injury that he called “like a hyperextension” while speaking with reporters after practice that day.
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“It’s just a little tweak, but I’m fine,” Chase told reporters. … “I couldn’t walk for a second, and then I sat down, and then that was it.”
The injury continues to impact Chase’s practice availability a week later and will continue to do so, according to Taylor. While Chase and Taylor have downplayed the injury, it remains a situation to watch as Cincinnati’s season opener approaches.
Chase is one of the league’s most dangerous offensive weapons and at his best is the most productive receiver in football. A three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler in five NFL seasons, Chase tallied 125 catches for 1,412 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. In 2024, he led the NFL in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns with 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns.
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The Bengals advanced to the Super Bowl in Chase’s 2021 rookie season, but are coming off three consecutive third- or fourth-place finishes in the AFC North and haven’t made the postseason since the 2022 season.
When healthy, the Bengals maintain one of the league’s most compelling offensive cores with Chase, Higgins, quarterback Joe Burrow and running back Chase Brown and are seeking to return to contention in the AFC North and for the Super Bowl. A healthy Chase is integral to those plans.
