Cincinnati Bengals waiting to make decision on Ja’Marr Chase’s status for Steelers game

Ja’Marr Chase, the Bengals star receiver, may or may not play this Saturday against the Steelers. It’s not that Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor is withholding injury info. Rather, it’s all about how quickly a bum shoulder can heal.

“We’ll see how the week goes,” Taylor told reporters, Tuesday.

Chase suffered a separated shoulder, Sunday, in the Bengals dramatic, overtime win over the Vikings. Cincinnati was able to complete its comeback because other receivers — namely Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd — made amazing plays.

Check out this touchdown from Higgins that tied the game to send it to overtime.

TEE HIGGINS. WHAT A TD 🤯🤯🤯

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/Ir7umS8Vo1

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 16, 2023

Now, let’s circle back to the Chase situation. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said that an MRI of Chase’s bad shoulder suggested the receiver would miss at least this week’s game, if not more.

Reporters asked Taylor about Chase on Tuesday. But again, Taylor stuck with the day-to-day update. The Bengals did move two players to injured reserve. They were defensive tackle D.J. Reader and cornerback D.J. Ivey. Both suffered knee injuries during the game against the Vikings.

The Bengals practiced Tuesday because of their game on Saturday. But Taylor confirmed that Chase won’t be participating.

Given all the injuries, the Bengals are making a most improbable run to the playoffs. Cincinnati has appeared in the last two AFC title games. But when quarterback Joe Burrow tore a ligament in his wrist last month, most thought the Bengals wouldn’t be competitive the rest of the season.

Jake Browning replaced Burrow and has led the Bengals to three straight victories. Cincinnati now is 8-6. The New York Times playoff simulator predicts that the Bengals have a 37 percent chance at the postseason. If they beat the Steelers, the percentage rises to 54 percent. From there, Cincinnati plays the Chiefs. And a win at Arrowhead Stadium ups the projection to 84 percent. Sweeping their final three increases Cincy’s chances to near 100 percent.

However, if they lose to the Steelers, the chances drop to a paltry 14 percent. The Steelers also face a must-win against the Bengals. They’ve lost three in a row to drop to 7-7. Pittsburgh would need their final three games to give themselves a reasonable, 79 percent chance.

With the stakes so high, no wonder the Bengals are paying such close attention to Chase. He’s one of the best receivers in the NFL. So far, he’s caught 93 catches for 1,156 yards and seven touchdowns.