Chase Brown injury update: Concerning report emerges on Bengals RB ahead of Steelers game

The Bengals got some bad news ahead of their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. Running back Chase Brown tried to do some cutting drills in pregame drills but shook his head and was seen walking off the field, according to Bridget Condon.

The Bengals defeated the Steelers without him, 19-17. And in the process, Cincinnati kept their slim playoff hopes alive. They’ll have to hope that Denver and Miami lose on Sunday.

Brown has quickly developed into a pretty dangerous tailback for the Bengals. Against the Panthers, he finished with 15 carries for 80 yards and two touchdowns (averaging 5.3 yards per carry). Those are pretty good numbers. He flashed at times last year in his rookie season. Brown had 44 carries for 179 yards (4.1 yards per carry). As a receiver, he hauled in 14 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown. He figures to be a pretty dangerous weapon for the Cincinnati offensive attack.

Brown began his college career at Western Michigan before transferring to Illinois after one season. There, Brown, along with his twin brother and star safety Sydney Brown, helped lead a resurgent Illinois program to an 8-4 record. After Sydney Brown declared for the draft earlier and now this decision, both Brown twins are off to the 2023 NFL Draft.

Brown was one of the most productive running backs in college football in 2022, rushing for 1643 yards at a clip of five yards-per-carry. He scored 10 times on the ground and added three more receiving touchdowns on 27 receptions for 240 yards. He finished as a Doak Walker finalist, becoming the first finalist for the award in Illinois football history.

He also ranked third in the country and second in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (136.9 yards). Brown also ranked second in the nation in forced missed tackles (83), according to Pro Football Focus. He also became the first player in the Big Ten to record 100+ rushing yards in the first nine games of a season since Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott did it in 2015.

In 2021 as a sophomore, Brown finished third team All-Big Ten. He led Illinois with 170 carries for 1,005 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. As a receiver, he hauled in 14 catches for 142 receiving yards.

On3’s Andrew Graham also contributed to this article.