Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase expected to be active vs Texans

Coming into the weekend, there were questions about whether or not Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase would be able to play this Sunday against the Houston Texans. Now, it’s clear that he should be good to go.

The Bengals announced their inactives for the day and Chase wasn’t among them. He’s active this Sunday.

It came down to how Chase was able to handle warmups. Once he was good there, the Bengals felt comfortable making him active for the game. However, how much he plays and how effective he plays still remains unclear.

Ja’Marr Chase has been dealing with a back injury since he took a hard fall in Week 9. Those can be difficult to deal with for an athlete at any position, but it will be interesting to see how he is able to run his routes and jump throughout the game, let alone take hits from defensive backs.

This week, Chase was reportedly limited in practice. However, it was a good sign that he was able to practice with his back.

Having Ja’Marr Chase healthy is huge for the Bengals. Among those inactive for Cincinnati is Tee Higgins. The Bengals’ offense thrives off its elite playmakers on the outside. Without two of them, moving the ball could quickly have become a problem.

This season, Chase has 64 receptions in eight games. He also has 697 yards and four touchdowns on the season. So, he’s well on his way to another Pro Bowl season. That would be his third trip to the Pro Bowl in three seasons in the NFL after being the Rookie of the Year in 2021.

Ja’Marr Chase offers surprising answer for toughest DB he’s faced

Between his time at LSU and now in the NFL, Ja’Marr Chase has played against more than his fair share of elite defensive backs. So, it’s more than a little bit surprising who he says the toughest defensive back that he’s faced has been.

“For me, I’d say Carlton Davis,” Chase said. “He’s longer than I expected, longer arms, and he just, he ain’t got no knee bend, he just hunches over and plays defense. I think I’ve played him twice, too, so, he made some good plays so I ain’t never going to forget that one.”

Davis, who played at Auburn, has been in the NFL for six seasons. All of those seasons have been with Tampa Bay.