Bengals Get Encouraging Ja'Marr Chase Injury Update

It was revealed earlier this week that Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase is dealing with hip and labrum injuries that will sideline him for the foreseeable future. While early reports indicated that he could be out for four to six weeks, the latest injury update brought some much-needed encouraging news.

Sources tell theScore's Jordan Schultz that Chase won't be placed on the injured reserve. Had he been given an IR placement, the 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year would have to miss a minimum of four games. In other words, the Bengals may think that he could be back sooner than that.

Ja'Marr Chase Injury Update

The Bengals' upcoming schedule could also factor into this decision. They play the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers over the next two weeks before having a Week 10 bye. Assuming Chase misses those two games, he could return against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11, giving him plenty of time to heal.

In the meantime, Chase's absence will be felt. Cincinnati's No. 1 wide receiver paces his team in receptions (47), receiving yards (605) and touchdowns (6) this season, meaning the likes of Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd must elevate their game to keep the Bengals' upward trajectory on track.

It'll also be an interesting test to see how quarterback Joe Burrow fares without his former LSU teammate. Burrow's only time playing without Chase was during his NFL rookie season, where he averaged 268.8 passing yards and 1.3 TDs per game compared to 291.7 and 2.1 with his go-to wideout in the lineup.

Hopefully, Chase's injury isn't too serious and he can return to being one of the NFL's top wide receivers. After all, the Bengals' success down the stretch likely hinges on his health.

Bengals vs Browns Odds

Even without Chase, things look promising for Zac Taylor's squad heading into Monday night. FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists the Bengals as 3.5-point road favorites over the Browns in a game with a projected total of 45.5 points.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.