The Bengals don’t have full control of whether they make the playoffs or not heading into Week 18, but they will have more say in making sure one of their players finishes off a stellar season with some personal milestones.
Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase leads the league in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns going into their matchup with the Steelers. On Tuesday, quarterback Joe Burrow said the team will assure he remains there.
“Make sure he gets it,” Burrow said, via the team’s website “I think a couple of [categories] are pretty out of reach for everybody else. I think he’s got a seven- or eight-catch lead. . . . “He works for it. He grinds for it. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime-type player and our careers will forever be tied together from college into the pro landscape. That’s just fun to be a part of.”
Burrow is right about where things stand. Chase has four more touchdowns than Terry McLaurin and Amon-Ra St. Brown and he has eight more catches than St. Brown. He’s 133 yards up on Justin Jefferson, so even a modest day should be enough to give him the triple crown.
At least the Swifties made a difference in one election this year.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce closed out the Pro Bowl voting with the most fan votes of any player, with 252,200.
Coming in second was Lions running back Jahymr Gibbs, at 250,082. In third place was Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, at 242,352.
Two other quarterbacks rounded out the top five — Joe Burrow of the Bengals at 239,526 and Jared Goff of the Lions at 225,858.
Lions players got the most votes, followed by the Vikings, Commanders, Eagles, and Steelers.
Kelce led the way in fan ballots despite career lows (so far) in receiving yardage (825), yards per catch (8.5), and receiving touchdowns (3).
As the Bengals get ready for Saturday night’s matchup against the Steelers, one of their key offensive players was not able to get on the field for Tuesday’s walk-through.
Cincinnati listed running back Chase Brown (ankle) as a non-participant in the session. Brown suffered the injury during last Saturday’s overtime victory over the Broncos.
He’s rushed for 990 yards with seven touchdowns and caught 54 passes for 360 yards with four TDs this season.
Tight end Drew Sample (groin), defensive end Sam Hubbard (knee), and offensive tackle Devin Cochran (personal) also did not participate on Tuesday.
Quarterback Joe Burrow (right wrist/knee) and receiver Tee Higgins (ankle/knee) were listed as limited, though that shouldn’t affect their availability as both have been limited in practice in recent weeks.
Offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (fibula), tight end Tanner Hudson (knee), offensive tackle Aamrius Mims (ankle/hand), receiver Charlie Jones (groin), and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. (knee) were also limited.
Defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson (wrist) was full.
The Bengals have been dealing with contract situations for their top two receivers throughout 2024.
Tee Higgins was franchise tagged and has played under it this season, with many assuming Higgins will be on his way to a new club in 2025. Then, Ja’Marr Chase did not receive a contract extension before the season, sitting out training camp practices.
Quarterback Joe Burrow has been consistent in saying that Higgins should be a part of Cincinnati’s plans going forward. Higgins has caught a touchdown in three consecutive games and proved critical in last Saturday’s overtime victory over the Broncos when he caught 11 passes for 131 yards and three TDs.
Still, the Week 18 game against the Steelers could be the last time Burrow, Chase, and Higgins all play together — a fact that hasn’t escaped the Bengals’ quarterback.
“It’s obviously a possibility,” Burrow said Tuesday, via Paul Dehner Jr. of TheAthletic.com, “not one that I’m excited about, but that’s not in the plans, I would say.”
Burrow has made it clear that he’s expecting Higgins to be back in 2025 in the past, but underscored that again on Tuesday when asked how he views former Bengals thriving on other teams.
“Whenever a great player leaves, you wish you could have found a way to keep them,” Burrow said. “You don’t want to make a living out of letting great players leave the building. I think that’s why you got to do everything you can to get those deals done early.”
Higgins has missed time due to injury this season, but has still been having one of his most productive years. In 11 games, he’s caught 69 passes for 858 yards with 10 touchdowns.
Chase, who is also expected to seek a new contract this offseason, leads the league with 117 catches, 1,612 yards, and 16 touchdowns.
Entering Week 18, Burrow leads the league with 4,641 yards passing and 42 touchdowns. He’s completed 69.8 percent of his throws this year.
The Steelers are looking healthier as they move into Week 18.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said at a press conference on Monday that he expects cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to return to action against the Bengals after missing last Wednesday’s loss to the Chiefs with a knee injury and it looks like quarterback Justin Fields is also on track to be available. Fields has been inactive the last two weeks because of an abdominal injury, but he joined Porter as a full participant in Tuesday’s practice.
Wide receiver Ben Skowronek (hip) is also trying to return to action this week. He was a limited participant along with quarterback Russell Wilson (rest), running back Jaylen Warren (ribs), linebacker Cole Holcomb (knee), and defensive tackle Logan Lee (calf). Holcomb and Lee were designated for return on Tuesday along with wide receiver Roman Wilson. Wilson (hamstring) was a full participant.
Guard Isaac Seumalo (rest) was the only player not to practice at any level.
