The Cincinnati Bengals will be without their top receiving threat this Saturday.
According to Jordan Schultz, WR Ja’Marr Chase won’t play against the Steelers due to an AC joint sprain suffered last week against the Minnesota Vikings. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor didn’t want to rule him out early in the week, but the expectation after Chase got knocked out of last Saturday’s contest was that he would miss at least one game.
Chase injured his shoulder during Saturday’s overtime win against the Minnesota Vikings and was unable to finish the game. Taylor called Chase “day-to-day,” while Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer said that his sources depicted a more serious injury for Chase that would cause him to miss some time.
While the Bengals lost QB Joe Burrow for the season due to a wrist injury, they have managed to keep their playoff hopes alive, sitting at 8-6 while holding the sixth seed in the AFC playoff field. Chase has managed to put together an impressive 2023 campaign despite being without his star quarterback over the last month of the season, already posting a career-high 93 receptions for 1,156 yards and seven touchdowns Chase had four receptions on six targets for 81 yards in Cincinnati’s first matchup against Pittsburgh, benefiting from a 31-yard reception off a tipped pass.
With Chase on ice for at least one week, the Bengals will turn to WRs Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd as the focal points in their passing game. WR Trenton Irwin and TEs Tanner Hudson and Irv Smith Jr. also figure to get more looks with Chase out of the lineup. For a team that is on the brink of playoff elimination, the Steelers are catching a lucky break at the expense of Chase, who will look to try and return for next week’s contest against the Kansas City Chiefs.
