The Cincinnati Bengals have learned they will be without wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase for the next 4-6 weeks.
One of the more important dates on the calendar for the Kansas City Chiefs this season has been a circled showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13. It represents a chance to take down the Bengals on the road after Joe Burrow and company beat the Chiefs twice last season, including a season-ending loss in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium.
This time around, the Chiefs might not have to contend with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. That’s because the second-year marvel has been placed on injured reserve with a hip injury and reports say he could be out anywhere from four to six weeks.
The Bengals are preparing to focus on the Cleveland Browns in Week 8 and there’s a lot of mileage for both teams between now and then. But Chase’s status will be a subplot to watch on the back burner as the game creeps closer, especially given how much damage he did against the Chiefs last year.
In case you somehow forgot (or, more understandably, did the best to put it out of your memory), Chase absolutely mopped the floor with the Chiefs’ pass defense during the regular-season showdown between the teams in 2021. As a rookie, Chase had a record-setting night with the most receiving yards by anyone ever against the Chiefs when he caught 11 of 12 targets for 266 yards and 3 scores. Chase would add another touchdown to go with 6 catches for 54 yards in the postseason.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Chase is expected to seek further opinions about his injury, so further clarification on a timeline should be forthcoming.