While the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, they did so without their star receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, who left the game early due to an injury.
The Bengals received bad news about Chase’s health on Monday, which will likely keep him out of Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and possibly beyond.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, “Chase is likely to miss some time” after an MRI revealed a separated shoulder. Chase is expected to miss the Steelers game and could be out for a while.
While Joe Burrow’s injury in Week 11 appeared to effectively end Cincinnati’s season, the Bengals have played well with Jake Browning at quarterback. They lost to the Steelers in Week 12, but have won their last three games. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is on a three-game losing streak heading into the rematch with Cincinnati.
#Bengals star WR Ja'Marr Chase is likely to miss some time, sources said after the MRI on his separated shoulder today.
The expectation is that he is sidelined for this week’s game against the #Steelers, and it could extend beyond that, as well.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 19, 2023
Chase has caught 22 passes for 323 yards and one touchdown in four games without Burrow. Prior to the injury, he caught four passes for 64 yards against Minnesota in Week 15. He has a career-high 93 receptions for 1,156 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
The Bengals have been eliminated from AFC North contention, but they are still in the thick of the AFC Wild Card race. The Bengals currently hold the second of three Wild Card spots and are ranked sixth in the conference. However, with five teams at 8-6, there is little room for error.
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