Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase Questionable vs. Patriots; Tee Higgins Doubtful with Injury

The Cincinnati Bengals could potentially be playing without their top two wide receivers on Sunday.

In the Bengals' Friday injury report, Ja'Marr Chase was listed as questionable for Cincinnati's season-opener amid his ongoing contract standoff. Tee Higgins was also doubtful with a hamstring issue.

Chase is currently searching for a long-term contract extension and has been holding in throughout training camp. He told reporters on Friday that his Week 1 status will come down to a game-time decision and he would be limited if he ended up playing.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor revealed that Higgins "tweaked" his hamstring during practice on Thursday and was noncommittal about his availability on Sunday, per ESPN's Ben Baby.

"We'll see," Taylor said.

Higgins has been hampered by the same issue in the past, missing three games during his 2023 campaign due to a hamstring injury that he sustained in practice.

As for Chase, his contract status will play a large role in his Week 1 participation. He's ramped up his activity leading up to the team's first matchup against the New England Patriots. Chase was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday before fully participating in Friday's walkthrough.

An extension agreement before Week 1 still seems to be possible, as the three-time Pro Bowl wideout said that a new contract is in reach on Friday (via Geoff Hobson of the team's official website).

If Chase and Higgins are both unable to play, Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin should have expanded roles in the offense surrounding Joe Burrow. Jermaine Burton, Cincinnati's third-round pick in the 2024 draft, could also see some action.

The status of the Bengals' top wide receiver duo will become more clear as the team's upcoming contest gets closer and Chase's contract status comes to a conclusion.

Cincinnati will begin its regular season against New England on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.