The Bengals earned a 24-18 win over the Bills on "Sunday Night Football" that should help the team as it looks to claw its way back into the playoff race.
What won't help Cincinnati is that its top receiver, Ja'Marr Chase, came out of the game nursing a back injury.
It isn't clear exactly when Chase hurt his back or if the problem had been lingering leading into the game. However, he had one hard fall in the second half while trying to catch an underthrown pass from Joe Burrow that could have contributed to his pain.
Ja’Marr Chase didn’t say what play he hurt his back on specifically but this play surely didn’t help his back feel any better if he did in fact hurt it earlier in the game pic.twitter.com/9qQXAluMfH
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) November 6, 2023
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Ja'Marr Chase injury update
Either way, Chase was asked about how he was feeling at the Bengals' media availability on Monday. He gave an honest answer.
"I'm pretty sore just moving around," Chase told reporters, before adding: "It got worse as the game went on."
Despite this, Chase said that he was "good" and implied that he didn't have too many long-term concerns about his pain. Still, he wouldn't commit to participating in Bengals practice, at least not to start the week.
"Don't know yet," he said when asked whether he would be on the practice field. "We'll find out tomorrow."
Ja'Marr Chase getting treatment for his back after falling hard on it Sunday night. pic.twitter.com/VUxKr8iMYd
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 6, 2023
Chase gave credit to his teammates for supporting him as he was hobbled during Sunday night's game. In particular, he singled out his counterpart Tee Higgins, who recorded a season-high 110 yards on eight catches and led the team in most major receiving categories.
Chase revealed that his plan will be to have the back of Higgins and Co. if his troublesome back malady keeps him out of action.
"I’m just going to support my teammates, man," Chase said. "Let those guys do what they got to do. Only thing I can do is get healthy for the team."
Chase has logged 64 catches for 697 yards and four touchdowns this season for the Bengals. Suffice to say that his presence would be missed if he has to miss time.
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Bengals WR depth chart
Luckily, the Bengals are fairly loaded at the receiver position thanks to some recent draft picks used at the position. Below is a look at the five receivers the team currently has on its 53-man roster.
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Ja'Marr Chase |
| 2 | Tee Higgins |
| 3 | Tyler Boyd |
| 4 | Andre Iosivas |
| 5 | Trenton Irwin |
Even without Chase, the Bengals will boast a strong receiving corps. Higgins would be the No. 1 wide-out while Boyd and the rookie Iosivas would be thrust into larger roles. Higgins has great size, Iosivas has great speed and Boyd is a great route runner in the slot, so this trio would likely find success with Irwin filling in as a versatile complement.
The Bengals also have a trio of receivers — Stanley Morgan Jr., Kwamie Lassiter II and Sheldrick Jackson — on the practice squad. One would likely be called up in the event that Chase misses time due to his injury. Rookie Charlie Jones could also be ready to be activated from IR after being placed there in Week 4 with a thumb injury.
So, the Bengals will have no shortage of options to replace Chase if it comes to it. Still, Burrow and Co. would much rather have their No. 1 receiver on the field in Week 10 as they prepare to do battle with the Texans.
