Zac Taylor wouldn’t rule out Ja'Marr Chase on Tuesday despite the Pro Bowl wide receiver having separated his shoulder and reporting that he could potentially miss time beyond Week 16’s game.
Chase is officially out now, though, after Taylor told reporters on Thursday that the Bengals will not play in Saturday’s showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As expected, Chase will be unavailable after he sustained the shoulder injury in a Week 15 victory over the Minnesota Vikings — the first of back-to-back Saturday tilts for Cincinnati.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that Chase would miss Week 16 and perhaps more time due to his shoulder ailment. A day later, Taylor wasn’t ready to announce the Bengals would be without their top wideout.
Now, Cincy is tasked with staying in playoff contention without their WR1 and their QB1.
With quarterback Joe Burrow out for the remainder of the season due to a wrist injury, the Bengals (8-6) have stayed in the thick of the playoff hunt thanks largely to the inspired play of backup QB Jake Browning, who’s piloted Cincinnati to three straight wins.
The degree of difficulty in getting a fourth straight win has now officially risen with Chase a designated no-go.
Chase leads the team with 93 receptions, 1,156 yards and seven touchdowns. In his absence, Tee Higgins, who had a pair of scores Saturday, and Tyler Boyd will likely be called on for more targets.
The Bengals currently are the sixth seed in the AFC and will look to stay inside the playoff picture without Chase when they face the Steelers (7-7) on Saturday.
