Just weeks before the start of the NFL season, the Cincinnati Bengals got a massive scare in practice when All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase went down with an apparent non-contact injury. Luckily, it looks like they avoided a major injury.
Reports indicated that Chase landed awkwardly while battling for a reception and stayed on the ground. He would walk with trainers to the sideline. He would later return to drills in a more limited capacity.
Now, Chase himself has shared another major update. While appearing on ESPN 1530, local Cincinnati radio, he confirmed that he suffered a “hyperextension.” Chase added that he could have kept going if the Bengals needed him, but they were choosing to be cautious.
This is about as good of an update as the Bengals could have hoped for. When Chase went down, it was awkward enough that there were serious concerns it could be a long-term injury.
Hyperextensions can, of course, be tricky. Depending on the grade, a hyperextension can take a couple of weeks to recover from. In other cases, it can take months, potentially even the length of a season. It was recently announced Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai will miss multiple weeks with his hyperextension. So, Chase seems to have dodged a bullet.
“If I had a game tomorrow, I’d play,” Chase said.
The Cincinnati Bengals Can’t Afford an Injury to Ja’Marr Chase
GettyCincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase
There are massive expectations for the Cincinnati Bengals this season. That includes winning the AFC North and competing to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
Those expectations could potentially go out the window entirely if the Bengals lose Ja’Marr Chase for any period of time. Perhaps it’s not as devastating as another injury to quarterback Joe Burrow, but losing an All-Pro wide receiver would completely reshape the offensive identity of the Bengals and make playing defense against them significantly easier.
In 2025, a season that Burrow largely missed due to injury, Chase was still among the best receivers in the entire NFL. With 125 receptions for 1,412 yards and 8 touchdowns, Chase’s stats were actually down across the board from 2024. He was still an All-Pro selection.
The Bengals do have other talented wide receivers. It’s just that Chase gives them more opportunities to get open. Without him in the lineup, defenses can reassign their top cover corners and double teams elsewhere.
Bengals CB DJ Turner Reacts to the Ja’Marr Chase Injury
GettyCincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase
Ja’Marr Chase was working on deep routes when he went down with the hyperextended knee. In coverage on the play was DJ Turner, who admitted that he was relieved to learn it was nothing serious.
“DJ Turner: It was scary. We can all breathe now,” Turner said, being quoted by Jay Morrison.
Turner did nothing wrong on the play in question. It was tight coverage and Chase came down awkwardly. Still, he knows how important Chase is to the Bengals, and that there’s no way to get around how bad a loss that could have been.
“He’s good, checked up on him,” Turner said. “Next play, nothing like that matters at that point.”
Bengals Injury Update: Key Detail Emerges on Ja’Marr Chase Following Knee Issue