Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase reveals how he injured his shoulder
A game-changing play from Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase ended up having painful repercussions.Chase caught a critical 3rd-and-21 reception late in team's comeback victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15. It was also the last play he was a part of that day as he exited the field with what ended up being […]
A game-changing play from Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase ended up having painful repercussions.
Chase caught a critical 3rd-and-21 reception late in team's comeback victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15. It was also the last play he was a part of that day as he exited the field with what ended up being an AC joint sprain.
Nearly two weeks later, Chase revealed what happened on the play that caused his right shoulder to separate.
After hauling in the pass from quarterback Jake Browning, Chase did his best to shield his body away from incoming defenders. It just so happened that Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. came in at the worst time for Chase's shoulder.
"I tried to protect myself and fall, and ended up falling on my shoulder," Chase recalled of the play. "And I think the linebacker jumped right on—like right on top—of my arm and that's when I felt my arm do whatever it did."
Pace's hit was entirely clean and legal, but football is gonna football sometimes. Chase was pinned hard to the turf by Pace, and it would be the last time he took a snap that day. The injury forced him to miss all three practices the following week, as well as Cincinnati's Week 16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Chase did return to practice Thursday afternoon, but doesn't have answer as to how close he is to 100%.
"Good question," Chase said bluntly. "If I knew I'd be playing."
That answer tells us what's abundantly true. If Chase does play, he'll be playing through pain. The Chiefs will know that as much as the Bengals will know it.
But every team in the league, especially the Chiefs, could use just 80% of Ja'Marr Chase.
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