Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase Ruled Out For Week 16 Against Steelers

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Thursday that star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase will not play against the Steelers in Week 16. Chase exited a game against the Vikings last weekend with a shoulder injury.

Instead of giving Chase more time to try and recover ahead of the game Sunday, Taylor made the early call, simply saying that he was not trending in the right direction. Taylor did not provide a firm timetable for Chase’s return but indicated that he could be ready in Week 17.

“We’ve got significant length before the next game from where are today,” Taylor said. “So we’ll just continue to go from there.”

In Chase’s absence, wide receiver Tee Higgins is expected to receive more looks from quarterback Jake Browning. The team will also presumably lean on their running game, led by Joe Mixon with Chase Brown coming in for support. Higgins told reporters Thursday that he was prepared to step up as the team hunts for a playoff berth.

“I still gotta go out there and be the receiver I am,” Higgins said.

The Bengals have had to deal with a number of key injuries this year, chiefly a season-ending setback for Joe Burrow. But while the team has been banged up all year, Cincinnati still has an 8-6 record and could make the postseason with a strong finish.

Browning has performed well in Burrow’s stead and led the team to wins over the Jaguars, Colts and Vikings. The next few games could be similarly challenging, however, as he will have to maintain this hot streak against the Steelers, Chiefs and Browns.

The two NFC North rivals always have the potential to cause problems while the Bengals’ recent history against the Chiefs (with Burrow under center) are well documented. The team is almost certain to benefit from Chase’s potential return by season’s end.