Bengals WR Higgins doubtful with hamstring issue; Chase says he'd play vs. Patriots without extension
FOXBORO -- The Patriots will face a formidable foe in Week 1 when they visit the Bengals, but Cincinnati's offense may not be at full strength to start the 2024 NFL season. The status of the Bengals' top two receivers -- Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins -- is now in question for Sunday's tilt.
Higgins is listed as doubtful for Sunday after he tweaked his hamstring in Thursday's practice. He sat out Friday's walkthrough and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor would only say "we'll see" when asked about Higgins' availability.
So it sounds like Higgins, who has a history with hamstring issues, will be severely limited if he sees the field on Sunday.
As for Chase, he's been listed as questionable after being a full participant in Friday's practice. The Bengals star has been in a contract tiff with the team all summer, but returned to practice this week. He said that he's 100 percent healthy and expressed his intentions to play Sunday when speaking with reporters in Cincinnati on Friday.
"I'll probably be limited if I do play, but we'll see what happens," said Chase, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Chase said that a contract extension is within reach, but added that he would be willing to play against the Patriots without a new deal.
"We're off a little bit, but it's within reach. We'll see by game day," Chase said of the contract negotiations, which he said has been a long and "aggravating" process.
Tee Higgins tweaked his hamstring yesterday, per Zac Taylor. Said "we'll see" in terms of his availability on Sunday.
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) September 6, 2024
Chase is a force, finishing with 100 receptions for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He's averaged 89 receptions and 9.6 touchdowns per season over his three-year NFL career.
Chase has played just one game against the Patriots in his career, hauling in eight passes for 79 yards in a Bengals victory at Gillette Stadium in 2022. Higgins was even better that Christmas Eve in Foxboro, tallying eight receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown in the Cincinnati win.
If both are limited -- or can't go at all -- that would make life a lot easier on the New England secondary come Sunday afternoon. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow would have to rely on a young crop of receivers to step up in Charlie Jones and Andre Ilosivas, both of whom are heading into their second NFL season. Rookie Jermaine Burton could also see more looks in his NFL debut.
So there is a chance that the Patriots could have a better receiving corps -- comprised of Demario Douglas, rookie Ja'Lynn Polk, Tyquan Thornton, and K.J. Osborn -- than the Bengals on Sunday.
Tune in to Sunday's Patriots-Bengals showdown on WBZ-TV -- your television home of the New England Patriots! Pregame coverage begins at 11:30am with Patriots GameDay, kickoff is set for 1pm, and after the game stay tuned for Patriots 5th Quarter -- all on WBZ-TV!