Ja’Marr Chase Injury Update: Latest on Bengals WR

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase spoke Monday about the back injury that he was dealing with during Sunday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills. The news of an injury came somewhat of a surprise as Chase was not visibly struggling during the game. However, he told reporters that he was sore today after falling on his back.

Latest Injury Update on Ja’Marr Chase

Chase played 90% of the snaps on Sunday Night Football but, when asked how he was feeling, told reporters that he “fell on my back. As for right now, that’s all I know, for real.” When asked how sore he was, the Bengals WR responded, “Pretty sore just moving around.”

Chase would go further to elaborate that the injury “got worse as the game went on.” When asked about his practice status for the week ahead, he was unable to add further detail, stating, “I don’t know yet; we’ll find out tomorrow.”

The injury occurred with just under seven and a half minutes left in the third quarter. Chase landed awkwardly after a deep shot from quarterback Joe Burrow. Chase was trying to come back to the ball when Bills cornerback Dane Jackson took his legs from under him, trying to defend the pass. Without anything to break his fall, Chase landed hard on his back.

Chase was slow to get up from the impact but managed to continue playing, and many watching had no real idea the receiver was struggling during the game. We will have to see how the week plays out with Chase as the Bengals look to continue their strong performances in recent weeks.

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Cincinnati has now won four straight games to move from 1-3 to 5-3. They sit last in the competitive AFC North but are tied with both the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor spoke with Chase before holding his weekly Monday news conference.

“I was just with him. He’s sore right now,” Taylor said. “So it’s impossible to say (whether he can play), and we’ll just take it day to day with him.

“We’ll see as we continue to go,” Taylor added. “And that’s not trying to raise any warning signs or anything like that, it’s just that right now it’s sore.”

Fantasy Impact of Chase’s Injury

Fantasy managers have been dealing with an endless stream of injuries to top players this season, and the hits just keep on coming, now with Chase potentially missing time with a back injury. Even if Chase can suit up in Week 10, he’s unlikely to be at 100 percent, which will move him down the fantasy rankings as we get closer to Sunday.

If Chase is limited or not able to play against the Houston Texans, Tee Higgins will be vaulted up to a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 that has plenty of upside in a great matchup. We’ll continue to monitor as the week moves along for the potential ramifications and fallout for the other receiving weapons in Cincinnati, but fantasy managers that have Chase on their roster should now begin making backup plans, just in case.

— Analysis by PFN Fantasy Director Kyle Yates