Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will both play for the Cincinnati Bengals against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Adam Schefter reported a little over two hours before kickoff, giving Joe Burrow his top two receivers back after a week in which neither was a certainty.
The Bengals had listed both wide receivers as questionable on Friday’s final injury report. Chase spent the week in the concussion protocol, and head coach Zac Taylor said on Friday that he had not yet cleared it. Higgins was day-to-day with an adductor injury. Until the team’s inactive list is posted, the decision rests on Schefter’s report rather than a club announcement, and it is not yet known whether either player will be on a limited snap count.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, both listed as questionable for today, both will play against the Dolphins. pic.twitter.com/NDH3I6kPFn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 11, 2026
How the week unfolded
Both receivers were hurt in the 22-17 home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, October 4. Chase took a hit on a first-half tackle and did not return after the second quarter. Higgins carried the passing game after that, finishing with 11 catches for 157 yards on 16 targets, before he went down on one of the final plays of the fourth quarter.
Neither player practiced on Wednesday. On Thursday, Chase was a limited participant and Higgins sat out again. Both were full participants on Friday, which pointed toward Sunday availability, although Chase still needed clearance from the protocol before he could play.
Without them, Burrow had spent the week throwing to Jordan Moore and Noah Thomas, two receivers from the practice squad. Had both stars been held out, it would have been the first game since Chase arrived in 2021 in which Burrow had neither of them available. “I feel confident, whoever we put out there, we’re going to make it work,” Burrow said during the week.
Why it matters for Cincinnati
The Bengals are 2-2 and have dropped two games in a row, a 30-27 defeat at Pittsburgh and the loss to Jacksonville, in which Burrow threw for 428 yards but was intercepted twice. The Dolphins are 0-4 and have scored no more than 13 points in any game this season.
Cincinnati will still be without safety Kyle Dugger, who was ruled out with a quad injury. Linebacker Swayze Bozeman, safety Bryan Cook and wide receiver Colbie Young were also listed as questionable. The latest designations are on the injury report.
What comes next
Kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens is at 1:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, October 11. Follow it in the Game Center. The Bengals have their bye after this game and return on Sunday, October 25, at the Baltimore Ravens.
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