The Bengals got a welcome update on Thursday: Ja’Marr Chase is back to full participation.
Chase, who had been held out on Wednesday with an ankle issue and general rest, moved up on the team’s injury report as Cincinnati kept working through its prep for the Titans. He said Thursday that his ankle feels fine.
Elsewhere on the Bengals’ report, Kyle Dugger remained out with a quad injury and appears headed for another missed game. Safety Jordan Battle was limited again because of a shoulder injury, though he has continued to play through it over the past few weeks.
Tennessee had a mixed day of its own on the injury front. Starting defensive tackle John Franklin-Meyers, dealing with a groin injury, was upgraded to limited, while starting receiver Carnell Tate was held out for a second straight day with a shoulder issue.
Cincinnati’s tight end situation has been stretched thin lately, and Zac Taylor has been forced to reshuffle that group. Erick All is now on season-ending injured reserve after tearing his ACL, and Tanner Hudson also tore a pec this season.
That has opened the door for rookie Jack Endries, and Taylor made it clear Thursday that he trusts what he has seen from him.
"Attention to detail has been really important to him," Taylor said about rookie tight end Jack Endries as he gets primed for more snaps. "Waiting for his moment, you can tell he never knew when his number was going to be called.
He's really got to know three different positions and so I've got trust, just watching him operate in practice and in meetings and in training camp, that if needed, he was going to be ready to go, and there was a time where he wasn't needed because we had everybody healthy, and now's that time. So I'm not nervous at all about using him.
I think he's earning the opportunity. I'm excited to watch him play."
Taylor also pointed to backup safety PJ Jules as another player ready to help while Dugger is out.
"PJ brings a lot of energy. It's really important to him," Taylor noted.
"He's done a great job on special teams in his roles. He stepped into safety.
So when we need to continue to rely on depth at the safety position, I feel very confident in PJ and Russ (Yeast)."
In Other News...
Bengals Trade Deadline Debate Just Got Much Bigger Than Running Back
The trade deadline conversation around the Bengals has started to widen beyond the obvious running back chatter, even with marquee names like Jonathan Taylor and Saquon Barkley floating around the market. Cincinnatis interest in upgrading the backfield is understandable given Chase Browns uneven production, but the bigger question is whether a splashy move at that spot fits the way this front office usually operates.
For a team that has tended to lean draft-heavy in building its roster, the more practical fix may be elsewhere on the roster. The Bengals could use help in several spots, and the argument is growing that reinforcements on defense or up front might do more for the stretch run than chasing a high-profile runner. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Trade Buzz Is Zeroing In On A Much More Realistic RB Move
The Bengals search for backfield help has started to sound a lot more practical as the NFL trade deadline approaches, and the name drawing the most attention is a veteran runner who could give Cincinnati immediate stability. The idea is less about chasing a splashy headline and more about finding a proven piece who can slide into the rotation with Chase Brown and help balance an offense that could use another reliable option on the ground.
What makes this possibility appealing is the combination of production and price. Compared with the bigger-name backs who tend to dominate deadline chatter, this is the kind of move that fits a team looking for help without overcommitting long term, especially with an expiring deal in play. Nothing is confirmed yet, but the buzz is clearly pointing toward a more realistic type of upgrade if Cincinnati decides to act. [Read more 🡒]
Jessie Bates Just Reopened A Painful Bengals What-If
Jessie Bates departure from Cincinnati in 2023 still lingers as one of those roster decisions that never really goes away. The Bengals chose not to offer him a multi-year contract, instead using their salary cap space elsewhere, and Bates has handled the business side of it with the same calm he showed on the field. Even so, his exit left a hole at safety that Cincinnati has spent the last couple of seasons trying to patch.
Bryan Cook was brought in to help stabilize that spot, but the larger issue remains the same: the Bengals have not found a clean replacement for what Bates brought. And while the move made sense in the moment from a cap-management standpoint, it has only sharpened the sense that this was one of those franchise crossroads that can be revisited for years. [Read more 🡒]