Ja’Marr Chase’s separated shoulder has not officially ruled him out of the Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 16 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he would not yet rule out Chase for their next game following reports that the 23-year-old had already been ruled out.
The wide receiver did not practice Tuesday and is considered “day-to-day.” The head coach added that it will depend on how things develop over the next few days.
“We’ll see how the week goes,” Taylor said.
The Bengals’ two-time Pro Bowl receiver sustained the injury late in this past Saturday’s overtime win over the Vikings. Chase currently has 34 more catches and more than twice as many receiving yards this season as the team’s second-leading receiver, Tyler Boyd.
Having Chase back on an offense that is already without star quarterback Joe Burrow would be big for the team, which is currently 8-6 and would be the No. 6 seed in the playoffs if the regular season ended today.
If Chase is unable to play, Cincinnati does have other weapons on offense that include fellow wideouts Boyd, Tee Higgins and tight end Tanner Hudson, who has come on strong over the Cincinnati’s three-game winning streak. The Bengals have also received a strong campaign so far from running back Joe Mixon, who has been complemented in the backfield by rookie Chase Brown.
The Bengals’ recent success also can be attributed to the play of backup quarterback Jake Browning, who has completed 73.6% of his passes since replacing injured Burrow in the starting lineup.
Cincinnati will face a Pittsburgh defense on Saturday that will be without All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is dealing with a knee injury. The Steelers’ secondary received another blow Monday when fellow safety Damontae Kazee was suspended for the remainder of the season by the NFL for repeated violations of rules designed to protect player safety.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase’s status for the team’s Week 16 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers is uncertain. Although there were initial reports that he had been ruled out due to a separated shoulder injury, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has not officially ruled him out and said that Chase is considered “day-to-day.” The team will monitor his progress over the next few days. Chase’s presence on the field would be significant for the Bengals, who are currently 8-6 and in the playoff race. If Chase is unable to play, the Bengals have other offensive weapons such as Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and tight end Tanner Hudson to rely on. Backup quarterback Jake Browning has also performed well since replacing injured starter Joe Burrow. The Steelers’ defense will be without safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and Damontae Kazee, who has been suspended for the rest of the season.
