The Cincinnati Bengals are fresh off an encouraging divisional win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7, and they will now turn their attention to Week 8, where a very winnable matchup against the Tennessee Titans awaits. You can never take an opponent for granted in the NFL, but if the Bengals simply play their brand of football, they should easily come out on top in this one.
If there’s anything that could throw a wrench in the team’s plans, though, it’s the injury bug. Concern levels were raised on Wednesday when superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase didn’t practice due to a new ankle injury he is dealing with. All eyes were on Chase to see if he would suit up Thursday, which led to a very important update on his injury status emerging.
Ja’Marr Chase Practices Fully for Bengals on Thursday
Ever since arriving in the NFL back in 2021, Chase has been one of the best wide receivers in the league, as he has five Pro Bowl selections and a pair of All-Pro First Team honors to his name. And yet, through six games, the Bengals offense hasn’t managed to fully click just yet, and that’s had an impact on Chase’s production.
To this point, Chase has 32 receptions for 351 yards and five touchdowns. Those certainly aren’t numbers to scoff at, but when considering what we have seen Chase do in the past, it feels like he hasn’t managed to meet expectations. Cincy’s offense is notorious for getting off to slow starts, but at some point, the team is going to be hoping for some better production from Chase.
A potential explanation for Chase’s slow start emerged on Wednesday, as it was revealed he is dealing with an ankle injury that caused him to miss practice. Unsurprisingly, fans were worried Chase wouldn’t be able to play in Week 8, but he quickly put those fears to rest by logging a full participation at the team’s practice on Thursday.
One day after he didn’t practice, the Bengals listed WR Ja’Marr Chase as a full participant in today’s practice,” Adam Schefter of ESPN shared in a post on X.
Ja’Marr Chase on Track to Play for Bengals vs. Titans
Seeing Chase miss practice with an ankle injury that emerged from out of nowhere was obviously a bit worrying, but it seems like the Bengals are just playing it safe with their talented pass catcher. Chase is good enough that he doesn’t necessarily have to practice every day in order to put together a big game, so if the team can sprinkle in a day off for him every once in a while, it will do so in an effort to keep him as fresh as possible.
Against a one-win Tennessee team, Cincy likely wouldn’t even need Chase to play in order to come out on top, but obviously, if he’s healthy enough to play, he’s going to be on the field. It will be worth keeping tabs on Chase’s status at the team’s final practice of the week on Friday, but after a brief scare, it looks like he is trending towards playing against the Titans.
Bengals Get Crucial Ja’Marr Chase Injury News After Concerning Update