The Cincinnati Bengals are in the process of preparing for their Week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 13 at Paycor Stadium. Moreover, the team is taking a cautious approach with its two star wideouts, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
While Week 1 is still a few days away, the Bengals don’t want to take any risks and are limiting the practice time for Higgins and Chase. On Sept. 1, Charlie Clifford of NBC 5 Cincinnati reported that Chase will be limited at practice this week due to his knee injury.
Clifford also reported that Higgins will be limited this week due to a heel contusion. Moreover, he followed up his reporting by adding that Dax Hill will return to individual drills this week, Bryan Cook is good to go, and Shemar Stewart will remain on the rehab field.
A few days ago, the Bengals suffered an injury scare with Chase, but the wideout downplayed the issue being serious. Nonetheless, it appears the team will err on the side of caution.
“I’m feeling good,” Chase said in an Aug. 25 article from Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “I’m fine. It’s just a freak accident. Stuff like this happens all the time. It’s football. Some things are out of my control, and that was one situation that I couldn’t control, but I can control now.”
Bengals Need to Have Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins Healthy
Injuries have been one of the issues for the Bengals in this playoff drought. While keeping Joe Burrow healthy is of the highest importance, they also need his two wideouts to stay relatively injury-free.
Last season, Chase played 669 pass snaps, leading to a 90.1 overall PFF grade. Furthermore, he hauled in 125 receptions on 182 targets for 1,412 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Chase also averaged 11.3 yards per reception and generated 648 yards after the catch.
Meanwhile, Higgins played 554 pass snaps, earning an 80.1 overall PFF grade. Moreover, he recorded 59 receptions on 98 targets for 846 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Higgins also averaged 14.3 yards per reception and generated 164 yards after the catch.
Joe Burrow’s Comments on 2026 Season Carry A lot of Weight
Cincinnati is under a lot of pressure this season to end its playoff drought and return to the postseason. Recently, Burrow made that clear in his comments, and former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis says the quarterback’s message carries a lot of weight within the organization.
“Joe knows the window of [Mike] Gesicki, Tee [Higgins] and [Ja’Marr] Chase is closing, okay, because they can’t keep everybody going forward,” Lewis said in an Aug. 26 video from “Inside Football.” “They’ve added the guys on defense, and now they just have to get the secondary to begin to play together, and they’ve got an opportunity.
“But I’m telling you, [Burrow’s] words trigger action. There’s no question in my mind, they trigger action, because that man loves quarterbacks and he wants to win in the worst way.”
Last season, Burrow played 478 total snaps for the Bengals, leading to a 91.8 overall PFF grade. Injury limited Burrow’s time on the field, but he still recorded 1,809 passing yards and 17 touchdowns against five interceptions. Moreover, he registered 18 big-time throws and two turnover-worthy plays.
Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins Get Injury Updates Ahead of Week 1