Bengals Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals were already facing a pretty difficult circumstance this season after they lost star quarterback Joe Burrow to a season-ending wrist injury earlier this season. But just when the team seemed to find a rhythm with backup quarterback Jake Browning and get back in playoff contention, they got more terrible injury news.

On Monday night, league insider Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that the Cincinnati Bengals are now expected to be without star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase for at least this weekend’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“#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,” Rapoport said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.

This is obviously terrible news for a team trying to make the playoffs that has already lost its star quarterback to a season-ending injury, and the NFL world had a lot to say about it on social media as a result.

We’ll have to see how the Bengals are able to perform without Chase in what seems to be close to a must-win game for the team if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.

[Ian Rapoport]