Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase isn’t a guarantee to play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
At least, so says the final injury report and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor himself.
But it has been pretty easy to read between the lines on the topic, primarily because of Chase’s comments about how playing merely comes down to pain management.
“I’m getting (range of motion) back,” Chase said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “It’s going to come down to tolerating pain from a hit, for real. If anything, that will be the biggest test. You can’t test that pregame. You’ll hurt yourself before you play. We’ll find out.”
Chase added this about how the team still being alive in the playoff race plays a part, too: “It’s up to me making the decision. Be in the right mindset to play. My body. Mindset. All of the above.”
Of course, Chase’s ripping the Chiefs defense in viral comments certainly makes it easier to see him playing on Sunday, too.
But as a whole and as expected, it sounds like, barring a stunner during pregame warmups or say from the training and/or coaching staff, Chase is going to be out there.