Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase remains in the concussion protocol and Tee Higgins is day-to-day with an adductor injury, coach Zac Taylor said on Monday, October 5, leaving both of the team’s top wideouts uncertain for Sunday’s trip to Miami.
Neither receiver has been ruled out of the Week 5 game against the Dolphins. He said the staff would take the situation one day at a time and evaluate both receivers again on Wednesday, when the Bengals return to the practice field. Chase cannot play until he passes every step of the league’s concussion protocol, including clearance from an independent neurological consultant.
Bengals HC Zac Taylor said WR Ja’Marr Chase remains in concussion protocol, and Tee Higgins is now considered day-to day due to his adductor injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 5, 2026
How both were hurt
Both injuries came in Sunday’s 22–17 home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Chase left in the first half after he was checked for a concussion, and the team later ruled him out for the rest of the game. Higgins carried the passing game the rest of the way, catching 11 passes for 157 yards on 16 targets, before hurting his adductor late in the fourth quarter. He tried to keep playing but could not finish the game.
Without Chase, Joe Burrow found Mike Gesicki for a 15-yard touchdown in the third quarter and ran in a 1-yard score with 3:28 left to cut the deficit to five, but Jacksonville held on when Rayuan Lane made a fourth-down stop in the final minutes.
Why the timing matters
The loss dropped Cincinnati to 2–2, and the trip to Miami is the last game before the bye. That gives the Bengals a reason to be careful: a player held out on Sunday would have two full weeks to recover before the team returns on Sunday, October 25, against the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC North game.
If neither receiver can go, Cincinnati would lean more on its tight ends and depth receivers, and on a running game that produced only two rushing first downs against Jacksonville. Wednesday’s practice report will be the first indication of where each player stands: a concussed player typically moves through limited, non-contact work before he is cleared, while an adductor strain is usually judged by how freely a receiver can cut and accelerate.
What comes next
The Bengals (2–2) play the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, October 11, at 1 p.m. EDT, before their bye week. Track the status of both receivers on the WhyNFL injury tracker.
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