It was a special game last week for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, throwing for 481 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Two of those touchdowns went to former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase, but some unfortunate reports emerged on Thursday that suggests Chase may miss some significant time.
According to NFL insider Mike Garafolo, Chase is not expected to play this week against the Cleveland Browns, and may even be placed on injured reserve in the next couple of days while nursing a hip injury.
#Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase isn’t expected to play this week and it’s possible he could land on injured reserve in the coming days, sources confirm @wrightreportt to me and @RapSheet. No indication it’s a season-ending injury but an IR stint would mean four weeks minimum.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 27, 2022
ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that the expected timeline for Chase’s return is around 4-6 weeks, making him a “prime candidate” for the injured reserve list.
Bengals’ WR Ja’Marr Chase is dealing with a hip injury that is expected to sideline him 4-6 weeks and makes him a prime candidate for injured reserve, per sources. Chase visited with a hip specialist Wednesday and is seeking more answers about his injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 27, 2022
This is obviously a huge blow for the Bengals and many fantasy football owners with Chase on their team. Many took to social media to voice their frustrations with this report.
Ja'Marr Chase limped to the locker room following a deep route at the end of the first half. He finished the game with 130 yards, but he wasn't sprinting close to full speed on his second TD.
Chase is one of the best receivers in the NFL. Now, the Bengals have to move forward. https://t.co/XMBVXqlgFF
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) October 27, 2022
There you go. Bengals and Joe Burrow will have to do without the star WR for a while. Hope to get him back for the stretch run. https://t.co/lRbr2WJ92x
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 27, 2022
I noticed Chase left the game briefly with an apparent recurrence of that hip injury and was worried it was going to linger. This sucks. https://t.co/FzbHCnhRRX
— Chris Towers is the Riley Greene Preservation Soc (@CTowersCBS) October 27, 2022
This is why the fantasy red alert sirens are going off in your building. https://t.co/W5bXcHhJqY
— Thad Brown (@thadbrown7) October 27, 2022
When your day is going great and Scheffty blind sides you https://t.co/5z6C2hEyCR
— Chris Vaccaro (@ChrisVaccaroGST) October 27, 2022
Oh no. This is such a bummer. https://t.co/DbtLMOsIpm
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) October 27, 2022
Chase’s impact on the Bengals’ offense can not be understated as he played a huge role in their Super Bowl run last season. He recorded 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in just his rookie season last year and was in the midst of an impressive second year in the NFL.
This injury for Ja’Marr Chase will likely result in a huge bump in production for fellow Bengals receivers Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd moving forward.
It is at least promising that this is not expected to be a season-ending injury for Chase. His status will certainly be worth monitoring over the next couple of days, and the Bengals will be faced with the tough decision to potentially place him on the injured reserve list for the next four games.
[Mike Garafolo, Adam Schefter]
