When the Bengals start the 2024 season on Sunday against the Patriots, they might not have both of their top receivers. Ja’Marr Chase might not play due to his contract, and Tee Higgins likely won’t play due to injury.
Higgins has a hamstring injury. He wasn’t on the injury report on Wednesday. He was limited on Thursday. And then he didn’t practice on Friday.
He’s listed as doubtful. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the current thinking is he won’t be able to play. And it’s not, we’re told, related to his contract situation.
Higgins tried for well over a year to get a second deal. The Bengals applied the franchise tag, and the deadline for doing a long-term contract expired on July 15. While he can’t get a multi-year deal at this point, he might be inclined to protect himself. Which could prompt him to not play unless and until he’s 100 percent.
That’s one of the risks of not giving a guy long-term financial security. If they don’t have it, they won’t embrace an enhanced risk of injury that comes from playing while injured.
On the injury report, Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase is officially listed as questionable for Week 1. But he’s not injured.
It all comes down, essentially, to a game of contract chicken.
Here’s how we understand things. Chase has communicated his best number to the Bengals. The Bengals believe, we’re told, that if they don’t move from their current number, Chase will accept it on Saturday.
That might not be the case. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Chase is definitely willing to skip the game. Which would explain why he’s a very rare “healthy questionable.”
The Bengals host the Patriots on Sunday. Without Chase, it will be harder to beat the Patriots.
The Patriots offensive line has been a reason for concern heading into the season and they’re going to be shorthanded up front for Sunday’s opener against the Bengals.
Left guard Sidy Sow has been ruled out with the ankle injury that kept him out of practice all this week. Tackle Vederian Lowe has been limited in practice with an abdomen injury and he is listed as questionable.
The Patriots list Nick Leverett as their backup at left guard while Lowe is listed as the backup to right tackle Mike Onwenu.
Edge rusher Joshua Uche (foot) and running back Antonio Gibson (hip) are also considered questionable to play. Gibson was added to the injury report on Thursday because of a foot issue.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said, “We’ll see,” when discussing the availability of receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on Friday. But one is more likely to play than the other.
Cincinnati has listed Ja’Marr Chase as questionable while Higgins is doubtful.
Higgins has a hamstring injury that limited him in practice on Thursday and kept him sidelined on Friday.
Chase has been limited while his representation and the organization continue to negotiate an extension. Chase said on Friday that the two sides are “pretty close” to getting a deal done.
As noted by Paul Dehner Jr. of TheAthletic.com, the Bengals could expand Mike Gesicki’s role as a pass target with Higgins unlikely to play.
Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins (thumb) and offensive tackle Amarius Mims (pectoral) are both out.
Quarterback Joe Burrow (right wrist), receiver Jermaine Burton (toe), and Linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither (rest) are all off the report.
With Ja’Marr Chase going through a contract negotiation with the Bengals, there’s been a rumor floating around that he’d like his next deal to be one penny more than the record-setting deal his friend and former college teammate Justin Jefferson received from the Vikings earlier this year.
Chase dispelled that notion when speaking to the media on Friday.
“If I want to beat Justin, I want to beat the shit out of Justin,” Chase said, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, eliciting laughs from the assembled media. “Not by a penny, bro.”
But that doesn’t mean Chase is looking to reset the market in an outlandish way.
“I’m not really looking to go a lot higher,” Chase said. “That’s not really me trying to beat him out, me trying to go crazy. It’s just what’s right.
“There’s longevity involved.”
Chase said he thinks the two sides are “pretty close” to reaching a deal, but he’d like to stop negotiations on Sunday. Chase said it’s likely a game-time decision if he’ll play if there’s no agreement.
Receiver Ja’Marr Chase told reporters on Friday that he believes he’s close to reaching a long-term agreement with the Bengals. But he’s also willing to play on his current contract if one is not reached before Sunday.
Chase, who has been limited in practice this week, spoke to the reporters for the first time since he began his hold-in during training camp.
Via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Chase began his 10-minute session with reporters by saying he “didn’t ask for a contract or demand a contract this year.” Instead, Chase said, the organization told him they would extend him at the start of the offseason.
Chase admitted he would’ve liked to get a new deal even if the Bengals hadn’t presented him with that. But now he’d like to get paid what he’s worth.
“I know it’s kind of tough,” Chase said. “We’ve been doing this for the past six months, seven months, going back and forth. It’s been a long process. So, I mean, I’m pretty sure they know what I want.”
That being the case, Chase said the two sides aren’t all that far apart.
“There’s a few numbers that need to get switched around and changed [to other] places,” he said. “But I’d say we’re pretty close.”
Chase noted that Friday was his original deadline for getting a deal done. But now he’s moved that to Sunday, saying it’s his decision to cut off talks at that point. He is willing to play, should the two sides not reach an agreement — though he said he would likely be limited in Sunday’s season opener against New England. And he termed it a “game-time decision” whether or not he’d be on the field.
Still, as Chase acknowledged, things can change.
“I don’t know, man,” Chase said when asked how confident he is that a deal can be reached before Sunday. “It’s a small chance, but who knows what’ll happen in these next couple hours.”
Even if it doesn’t happen now, Chase is still expecting to reach a long-term agreement with the Bengals eventually.
“I’m confident it’ll get done,” Chase said. “I know my worth and I’m sure they know my worth, too. So, that’s easy and simple.”
The Bengals’ top two receivers may or may not play in Sunday’s season opener against the Patriots.
Ja’Marr Chase has been limited throughout the week as he continues to seek a new contract and Tee Higgins popped up on the injury report on Thursday with a hamstring issue.
Via multiple reporters on the Bengals beat, head coach Zac Taylor said, “We’ll see” when asked about Chase playing.
Taylor also described Higgins’ hamstring issue as a tweak and said “we’ll see” if he’ll be on the field Sunday. Higgins did not practice on Friday after he was limited in Thursday’s session.
Additionally, Bengals rookie defensive tackle Kris Jenkins is set to have surgery to repair the thumb injury he suffered this week.
“He can manage that,” Taylor said, via Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “It’s better to not play him this week. We’ll see how it goes starting next week.”
The Bengals selected Jenkins in the second round of this year’s draft.
Cincinnati will release its final injury report of the week with game statuses later on Friday.
Bengals receiver Tee Higgins appeared on Thursday’s practice report with a hamstring injury. There’s a chance it’s significant.
According to multiple reporters on the scene, Higgins is not on the field in the portion of the walk-through open to media on Friday.
Higgins was a limited participant in yesterday’s session. But, via Ben Baby of ESPN, he said in the locker room after practice that his hamstring “feels good.”
Head coach Zac Taylor is slated to speak to the media after practice.
Higgins, 25, caught 42 passes for 656 yards with five touchdowns in 12 games last season.
It didn’t happen on the same day that Joe Burrow got his new contract a year ago. Will it happen today?
In 2023, the Bengals and their franchise quarterback worked out a second deal on the Thursday before the start of the regular season. That day this year (yesterday) had become the unofficial deadline for a new deal for receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
At last word, the two sides were still locked in a fight over the terms of the contract.
Through it all, Chase has been practicing on a limited basis. On Friday, the Bengals will be required to apply an availability label for Sunday’s opener against the Patriots.
Will he be questionable? Doubtful? Out? Or off the report?
If a deal doesn’t happen today, it could get ugly. So far, there has been minimal rhetoric or drama. If it gets to the point where the Bengals expect Chase to play without security and with only $4.8 million in total 2024 compensation, a largely quiet situation could start getting loud.
The Patriots have added one of their offensive contributors to the injury report.
Running back Antonio Gibson was limited in Thursday’s practice with a hip injury.
Gibson, 26, signed a three-year deal with New England in March. He accumulated 654 yards from scrimmage on 48 receptions and 65 rushing attempts last year. He also finished with three total touchdowns.
Elsewhere on the report, defensive back Jonathan Jones (hamstring) was upgraded from limited to full. Linebacker Oshane Ximines (ankle) was also upgraded from limited to full.
Guard Sidy Sow (ankle) remained out of practice. Offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (abdomen), and linebacker Josh Uche (foot) were limited.
Tight end Hunter Henry (foot), linebacker Anfernee Jennings (wrist), and defensive end Deatrich Wise (hamstring) remained full participants.
Linebacker Christian Elliss has cleared concussion protocol and is no longer listed.