The Bengals got a pair of key names back on the practice field Thursday afternoon as they continued their prep for Sunday’s road matchup against Miami.
Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, dealing with a concussion, and safety Bryan Cook, working through an ankle issue, were both seen in full pads heading out to practice, according to multiple local media members who captured footage of the session.
The expectation is that both players will be limited in practice, with their official statuses due around 4:15 p.m. ET. Cook is dealing with a lower-body injury, while Chase’s situation is the trickier one to track.
A concussion return can move fast if everything checks out, but it’s still a tight process. The source notes that it is very rare for a player to sustain a concussion in a Sunday game and then play the following Sunday. Chase, who is dealing with the first concussion of his NFL career, must clear the league’s return-to-participation steps before he can get back on the field.
“Every NFL player diagnosed with a concussion must follow a five-step process before being cleared to fully practice or participate in an NFL game,” The NFL rule states. “This process, developed from internationally accepted guidelines, ensures that each player receives consistent treatment.
“Each player and each concussion is unique, and there is no set time frame for return to participation. Team medical staff consider the player's current concussive injury, as well as past exposures and medical history, family history, and future risk in managing a player's care.
After a player has progressed through the five-step process and is cleared for full participation by his club physician, he must be seen and separately cleared by an Independent Neurological Consultant (INC), jointly approved by the NFL and NFLPA, who is not affiliated with any NFL club. Until cleared by this independent physician, a player may not return to contact practice or play in an NFL game.”
Chase is believed to be at least in Phase 3 of the concussion protocol, which would be a promising sign for his Week 5 availability as long as he avoids any lingering symptoms.
Cincinnati also had a few other injured players not fully participating Thursday, including Tee Higgins, who currently looks like a very long shot to play Sunday. Higgins was on the rehab field but did not work out in full pads.
Bryan Cook is going through an individual workout on the rehab field to begin practice.
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