Superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals was sidelined for the rest of the game due to a shoulder injury sustained late in the fourth quarter of the team’s home game against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday.
On the NFL Network broadcast, Mike Garafolo stated that the receiver was suffering from an AC joint sprain, which is another name for a separated shoulder:
Chase was checked out in the locker room and then, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, he returned to the sidelines wearing street clothes.
Chase was not on the field when the Bengals forced overtime with a touchdown pass from Jake Browning to Tee Higgins in the final seconds of regulation.
Despite occasional injuries, Chase has not missed a game this season and had 89 receptions for 1,092 yards and seven touchdowns going into the game on Saturday.
Chase had four catches for 64 yards in the game before leaving on Saturday.
Since the Bengals selected Chase, an LSU product, fifth overall in the 2021 draft, he has remained fairly healthy. But because of a damaged labrum and a hairline hip fracture that kept him out of action for four games in the middle of the 2022 season, he only made 12 appearances.
Should Chase be out after this Saturday’s game, Browning will probably mostly use Boyd and Higgins at wide receiver.
Joe Mixon, the running back, will probably be used extensively against the opponents, in addition to tight ends Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample, and Irv Smith Jr.
Cincinnati was in the middle of the AFC wild-card chase going into Saturday’s game with a 7-6 record.
