Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco is officially questionable for Sunday’s game against the Bears. But at this point, it’s looking like he’ll be on the field.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Flacco is planning to start the contest, barring anything unforeseen over the next day.
Flacco told reporters earlier this week that his shoulder felt good, despite suffering an AC joint sprain during last Sunday’s loss to the Jets. Flacco did not practice on Wednesday, but was limited on Thursday before he did not participate on Friday.
Rapoport notes that there was optimism that Flacco could play after Thursday’s practice, which has continued over the last couple of days. But no one knows how the quarterback’s shoulder will react once the game starts.
Flacco, 40, has made three starts for Cincinnati since Cleveland traded him to the division rival. Flacco has completed 64.3 percent of his passes in those contests for 764 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions. That’s after he completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 815 yards with two touchdowns and six picks.
If Flacco is unavailable, Jake Browning would take over at quarterback.
The Bengals also signed quarterback Sean Clifford to the 53-man roster on Friday, which allows him to serve as the emergency third quarterback.
When the Bengals host the Bears on Sunday, Cincinnati’s top two receiver have a chance to make history, in different ways.
Via NBC Sports research, another 10-or-more catch day from Ja’Marr Chase would make him only the second player in league history to have 10 or more catches in four straight games. Lions receiver Calvin Johnson did it in 2012.
Tee Higgins could become the third player in NFL history with a touchdown catch in nine straight home games. Vikings receiver Cris Carter dd it in 2000-01, and 49ers receiver Jerry Rice did it in 1989-90.
For both players, the ability to pull it off will be boosted by the availability of starting quarterback Joe Flacco. He’s questionable for Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury suffered during a Week 8 loss to the Jets.
Chase leads all NFL players with 70 receptions this season, 14 more than the player in second place (49ers running back Christian McCaffrey). Chase is second in receiving yards, with 720.
The Bengals signed quarterback Sean Clifford off the practice squad to the active roster, the team announced on Friday.
The move provides the team with insurance, as starting quarterback Joe Flacco is battling an AC joint sprain. He practiced only one day this week and is questionable to play.
Clifford will serve as either the backup or the emergency third quarterback for this week’s game against the Bears.
He signed with the team’s practice squad on Sept. 16 after Joe Burrow’s injury.
Clifford last appeared in an NFL game in 2023 with the Packers, playing two games that season.
The Bengals also activated defensive end Cedric Johnson back to the active roster from injured reserve. Johnson was placed on IR with a calf injury before the start of the season.
He returned to practice Oct. 22.
Star defensive end Trey Hendrickson has a lingering hip injury that could keep him out this week.
The Bears will be without their starting running back on Sunday against the Bengals.
Chicago has ruled out running back D’Andre Swift with a groin injury. Swift has been playing through the injury but apparently hasn’t been getting better, so now the Bears are shutting him down for at least a week.
Swift is in his second season with the Bears and has played well for them, starting all 17 games last year and all seven games so far this year. This season he has 100 carries for 464 yards and four touchdowns, plus 18 catches for 192 yards and another touchdown.
The Bears’ injury report also listed wide receiver Luther Burden, running back Roschon Johnson and defensive lineman Dominique Robinson as out. Bears linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga is questionable with a knee injury.
Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco sounds pretty sure that he’ll be able to play against the Bears on Sunday, but the outlook isn’t nearly as bright for defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson played in last Sunday’s loss to the Jets after missing a game with a hip injury, but aggravated the injury during the game and missed practice all this week. Head coach Zac Taylor said on Friday that Hendrickson will be listed as doubtful to play because of the injury.
Taylor said that Flacco will be listed as questionable because of the shoulder injury he picked up late in the Jets loss. Taylor said Flacco looked good in practice, but he does not want to commit to having him in the lineup this far ahead of kickoff.
Linebacker Logan Wilson will also be listed as doubtful. He’s dealing with a calf injury.
