Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase Said He Dealt With Food Poisoning Ahead of Loss to Patriots

Cincinnati Bengals star Ja'Marr Chase revealed that he dealt with food poisoning throughout the weekend prior to the team's 16-10 loss to the New England Patriots, according to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Chase's status was unknown leading up to Sunday as he attempted to secure a long-term contract extension, but he ended up playing despite the lack of a deal.

He was originally listed as questionable due to rest. The team's injury report was later updated to include an illness, though.

Chase was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday before practicing in full during Friday's walkthrough. He held in throughout the team's training camp as he attempted to sign a new deal.

He finished as Cincinnati's leading receiver against New England, but he only recorded six catches for 62 yards as the team was able to muster just 224 yards of total offense. Outside of Chase, no Bengals receiver was able to surpass 30 yards.

Tee Higgins wasn't available on Sunday, as he was listed as doubtful earlier in the week due to a hamstring injury. It's a potential concern for Cincinnati moving forward, as Higgins also missed multiple games in 2023 due to hamstring issues.

While the Bengals' No. 2 receiver was out and Chase may have been hampered by his food poisoning, Cincinnati still lost due to an inability to stop New England's rushing attack. Following the offseason departure of defensive tackle D.J. Reader, the team was repeatedly gashed by Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson on the ground.

Stevenson racked up 120 yards on 25 carries, including a touchdown to open the scoring in the second quarter. Jacoby Brissett also made plays with his legs after starting under center, recording 32 rush yards on seven attempts.

The Bengals will be hoping that Chase is able to fully recover from his illness as they attempt to avoid a disappointing 0-2 start against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2.