The Cincinnati Bengals will be without running back Chase Brown on Sunday against San Francisco, and possibly for even longer.
Chase left practice on a cart Thursday with a hamstring injury and was not present Friday. Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Brown will not play against the 49ers, and the team will have a better idea of his timeline next week.
Why the Timing Is So Bad for Chase Brown’s Injury
It’s awful timing for the rookie, whom the Bengals were planning to get more involved after the bye.
“I think it’s a reasonable expectation to see him play more,” offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said Wednesday. “(Joe) Mixon’s been playing a lot of snaps, and just like the defensive line, you’re trying to make sure your guys are fresh over the long haul. We’ve got to keep Joe fresh over the course of the season.”
Zac confirms Chase Brown is out with a pulled hammy this week. No timeline beyond that.
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) October 27, 2023
In five games since being a healthy scratch for the season opener, Brown has two carries for six yards and three receptions for seven yards.
“He was practicing well and making the most of his opportunities in practice,” Taylor said.
Brown has played just eight snaps, four of which came in the most recent game against the Seattle Seahawks.
“Just like anything, when you get an opportunity, it might be a small one, but if you do something with it, it tends to breed more opportunity,” Callahan said.
The other two backs behind Mixon are Trayveon Williams (five carries for 20 yards and four catches for seven yards on 67 snaps) and Chris Evans (two rushes for 12 yards and one reception for -1 yard on 12 snaps).
On the positive side of the injury report, Taylor said left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. is good to go Sunday.
MORE: Why Tee Higgins Hasn’t Been Involved, and How the Bengals Can Change That
Brown was listed as a full participant today after going limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday with a groin injury that forced him to leave the Seattle game in the third quarter. He didn’t practice Monday in the team’s light, post-bye walk-through, but he said he expected to play, and Taylor confirmed he would.
That’s a big boost for an offensive line that will have to deal with Nick Bosa and the rest of the San Francisco front on Sunday.
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