At least for now, Ja’Marr Chase is back.
According to multiple reporters on the scene, Chase is in uniform and on the field for practice.
Head coach Zac Taylor replied, “We’ll see,” to several inquiries about Chase in his pre-practice press conference. But Chase reportedly went through his usual early-practice activities — stretch and working with Tee Higgins off to the side during special teams drills — during the portion of the session open to media.
Chase had been back at practice before once again sitting out as a part of his apparent hold-in. He had also been participating in walk-throughs.
If Chase does not fully participate in the session, the Bengals will have to list him on the injury report, which is due out later Wednesday afternoon.
Chase is currently set to earn $1.055 million in base salary in 2024. With the Bengals exercising his fifth-year option in the spring, he’s on the books for $21.816 million guaranteed in 2025.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor expressed confidence early last week that wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase would play against the Patriots in Week One, but Chase didn’t practice the rest of the week and Taylor began avoiding any firm answers about Chase’s status.
That remained the case on Wednesday. Taylor was asked several times at his press conference if Chase would take part in practice with the team later in the day or take part in the game against New England.
“We’ll see,” Taylor said.
The Bengals will release a practice report later in the day, so there will be some information about whether Chase is working. Word about Sunday will probably have to wait until later in the week and there are likely plenty of people in Cincinnati who would like to see things with Chase finally get resolved one way or another.
History says that September is Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s least productive month on the field, but his path to the start of the season was different this time around.
Burrow has dealt with injuries and illness that have cost him training camp time heading into his first four seasons. That may play a role in his lower numbers in the first month of the season and it’s why Burrow feels he’s in “uncharted territory” heading into this season with a full camp under his belt.
That full camp came despite the right wrist injury that ended Burrow’s 2023 season. That injury didn’t hinder him in August, but it did keep him from fully showing off areas of growth last year.
“I’m more well equipped to go outside the pocket and make those kinds of plays because I’ve been working really hard on that the last two years,” Burrow said, via the team’s website. “I didn’t quite get to show some of that until the last couple games that I played last year. But early on, I didn’t really get to show that. That was the biggest emphasis of last offseason for me, and that’s continued into this offseason. So that’s a part of my game that I’ve decided to showcase.”
After last year’s injury helped keep them out of the playoffs, the Bengals hope that Burrow is showcasing his game for more than 17 games this season.
The last player drafted before Patrick Mahomes keeps looking for his next chance.
Receiver John Ross, the 10th overall pick in the 2018 draft, had a tryout with the Saints on Monday.
Another former first-round receiver, Phillip Dorsett, participated as well.
Other receivers joining them for the tryout were Ihmir Smith-Marsette, David Wallis, and Jahcour Pearson.
The Saints also worked out punters Corliss Waitman and Trenton Gill.
Ross, who was drafted by the Bengals, last played in 2021. He was cut last week by the Eagles.
Dorsett was a first-round pick of the Colts in 2015. He spent 2023 with the Broncos, who released him last week.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor doesn’t have any answers for Ja’Marr Chase, who continued to sit out of practice Monday as he seeks a long-term extension. The season starts Sunday, and Taylor sounds as if he doesn’t know whether he will have his star receiver.
“We’ll just take it day to day,” Taylor said Monday, via Emily Sanderson of WLWT.
Chase’s availability for the Week 1 game against the Patriots is in doubt after he showed up for practice dressed in street clothes, watching from the sideline as he continues to hold in. If Chase does play, the question then becomes: How many snaps will he play?
Even Taylor doesn’t know.
“It’s impossible for me to say with 100 percent conviction, but I feel good about the shape that he’s in,” Taylor said.
Chase wants to become the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback, a title that currently belongs to Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson. Jefferson signed a four-year, $140 million extension with $100 million guaranteed.
He is scheduled to make only $1.055 million in base salary this season, and the Bengals have exercised the $21.816 million fifth-year option on his contract for next season.
Chase briefly returned to the practice field Aug. 26-27 on a limited basis following the Bengals’ third preseason game. That gave Taylor confidence that Chase would play Week 1. Chase, though, has not practiced since then.
Chase has 268 catches for 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns in his three seasons.
