Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is expected to miss some time after sustaining a shoulder injury in Week 15, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Chase, who reportedly had an MRI on his shoulder Monday, will likely miss Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and could be sidelined for more weeks, according to Rapoport.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Sunday that Chase would be considered day-to-day. The star pass-catcher sprained his AC joint late in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 27-24 overtime victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
The two-time Pro Bowler tops Cincinnati with 93 receptions, 1,156 yards, and seven touchdown catches this season. He’s surpassed 1,000 yards each year since entering the NFL as the fifth overall pick in 2021.
Chase also missed four games due to injury in 2022.
The 23-year-old’s injury is a big blow to a Bengals team that lost quarterback Joe Burrow to a season-ending wrist ailment earlier this season. The victory over Minnesota improved Cincy to 8-6, good for the No. 6 seed in the AFC.
Cincinnati boasts one of the NFL’s deepest group of wide receivers and is now expected to rely mostly on Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Higgins scored two touchdowns versus the Vikings but has lacked consistency. The two-time 1,000-yard wideout, who’s also missed time due to injury, has topped 100 receiving yards just once in 2023.
After visiting the Steelers in Week 16, the Bengals finish their regular season with matchups against the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns.
