Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals is expected to miss multiple weeks of action due to a hip injury.
Chase left the Bengals game early Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons because of a lingering hip issue. Prior to leaving before the half, Chase had already gone over 100 receiving yards and found the end zone twice, according to ESPN.
Chase initially hurt his hip during the Bengals’ week six matchup against the New Orleans Saints, according to Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Schefter tweeted Thursday about how Chase aggravated the injury again while playing against Atlanta, and will now need an anticipated 4-6 weeks to recover.
Bengals’ WR Ja’Marr Chase injured his hip vs the Saints, aggravated it last week and now will be sidelined. https://t.co/722JvPkywa
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 27, 2022
With Chase out injured, Cincinnati reaching the post-season becomes harder to accomplish, considering how Chase is the most athletic receiver on the team.
During Chase’s rookie campaign a season ago, Joe Burrow targeted Chase 128 times for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns, according to ESPN. The sensational play from Chase won him the Rookie of the Year Award and helped Cincinnati reach Super Bowl 56. (RELATED: Patriots Make Major Decision Regarding Their Quarterback. Will It Send Them To The Post-Season?)
At 4-3, the Bengals are currently on the outside of the AFC playoff standings looking in. The injury comes at a bad time, but it gives other receivers on the team, such as Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, an opportunity to step up and play well while Chase recovers.
With Joe Burrow playing quarterback for Cincinnati, the Bengals’ season is not over by a long shot. Burrow is plenty capable of willing Cincinnati to victories, despite being down his favorite target. Since entering the league in 2020, the 25-year-old has looked like the next great NFL quarterback. Up to this point of his career, Burrow has thrown over 60 touchdown passes and has over 9,000 total yards through the air, according to Pro Football Reference.
With Burrow being the elite talent he is, he will keep Cincinnati’s post-season hopes alive in the absence of Chase.