Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase active against Texans despite back injury
The Cincinnati Bengals will be without at one their key wide receivers in Week 10 against the Houston Texans and could have another one limited on Sunday.
Ja'Marr Chase worked out extensively on the field prior to the game and was not on the team's list of inactive players. Chase is dealing with a back injury and underwent an MRI on Tuesday that revealed no structural damage.
Meanwhile, Tee Higgins is listed as out on the team's injury report this week with a hamstring injury that he suffered during practice on Wednesday, and he could end up missing at least two games for the Bengals because Cincinnati plays again Thursday. Soft tissue injuries are tricky to manage, and the worst situation Higgins and the Bengals could put themselves in is to rush him back and he aggravates his hamstring again.
Chase took off from practice Wednesday and was able to practice routes on Thursday and said he felt "OK and didn't have too much pain." According to Chase, his mentality is that he is going to play until told otherwise.
Chase ranks fourth in the league with 64 receptions and has added 697 yards and four touchdowns to his statline so far this season. He had a franchise record 15 catches for 192 yards in a Week 5 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Higgins was the Bengals' leading receiver in last week's win over the Buffalo Bills with eight receptions for 110 yards. He has 27 catches for 328 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
Defensive end Sam Hubbard will also miss Sunday's game. Hubbard injured his ankle in the Week 9 win over the Buffalo Bills, but it doesn’t appear to be a long-term injury.
Contributing: Kelsey Conway, Cincinnati Enquirer