Team news: Cincinnati Bengals | Page 12

Bengals star WR Ja'Marr Chase, who has skipped OTAs and wants a new contract, is present for mandatory minicamp. He was there for media day yesterday and is in the building today.

A follow-up report mentioned that Tee Higgins is not currently attending, so the Cincy WR drama isn't quite over. After Justin Jefferson's recent blockbuster deal, Chase should be getting a similar treatment sooner or later.

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was held out of Thursday's final offseason practice with right shoulder soreness, but the second-year player and coach Shane Steichen both insisted the decision was purely precautionary.

Richardson sustained an AC joint sprain last season that required season-ending surgery, but he recovered quickly and has been the Colts' starting quarterback throughout this spring's workouts. He was seen with trainers midway through Wednesday's practice, addressing the shoulder before returning to the lineup briefly and then giving way to backup Joe Flacco in the final period.

Richardson began throwing a few months ago, so this isn't a huge concern for just a single day. We'll keep an eye on the situation but don't believe it's going to keep him out of Week 1 action.

Bengals franchise-tagged wide receiver Tee Higgins, who requested to be traded last month, anticipates playing for Cincinnati in 2024, he told reporters Sunday at his youth football camp.

Related Players: Ja'Marr Chase, Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas

While Higgins, understandably, wants to find a lucrative contract, he will be set for a big payday in 2025 on the open market if he plays out the franchise tag in '24. The Bengals are expected to add another pass-catcher through the NFL Draft, and that could come in the first round.

Plot twist: The Bengals are now trading Joe Mixon to the Texans, rather than releasing him. So Zack Moss signs in Cincy, Mixon is traded to Houston. From Joe Burrow to C.J. Stroud.

Related Players: Dameon Pierce

Dameon Pierce has been woefully inefficient with his touches during his first two seasons in Houston, which led to Devin Singletary snatching his job away from him last year. He is unlikely to get in the way of Mixon taking over the majority of the workload. This is a best-possible-scenario for Mixon after leaving the Bengals and brings him right back into fantasy relevance as a pass-catcher on a great offense.

Former Patriots TE Mike Gesicki is signing a one-year deal worth up to $3.25 million with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Related Players: Drew Sample

This is the best landing spot Gesicki could have asked for, as Drew Sample —a blocking TE— is the only other player on the roster at the position. This won't preclude the Bengals from drafting someone, but as it stands, Gesicki could be on streaming radars by the time the season starts.

It's the end of an era in Cincinnati, where Joe Mixon spent seven seasons, ran for 49 touchdowns, and was part of a Super Bowl team. Now, both sides move on, with Zack Moss joining the Bengals and Mixon headed to free agency.

Related Players: Chase Brown

The Bengals looked like they would prefer a committee approach towards the end of last season, and that's likely what is going to happen heading into 2024, with Moss operating as the main piece. He won't have the upside of Mixon because of that usage, but he should still be considered a top-25 option, with Brown a little bit behind that.

Bengals franchise WR Tee Higgins has requested a trade, per sources. Higgins loves Cincinnati and hoped to be with the team long term, but is disappointed that the team has not had any talks about a long-term contract extension since March 2023. He’s ready to move on to a new home.

Related Players: Ja'Marr Chase

If Higgins does get shipped, it will almost assuredly be a negative for his 2024 fantasy outlook. The splits with and without Higgins for Chase have been minuscule, so we don't expect much of an upgrade if his running mate leaves town.

Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase will be out this week against PIT, Zac Taylor said.

Related Players: Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin

Higgins and Boyd get the biggest bump, as a high-end WR2 and low-end WR3, respectively. Chase looks iffy for Week 17 as it currently stands, so see what you can do to insulate yourself for next week, just in case.

Per Ian, he expects Ja'Marr Chase to miss Saturday's big divisional game against the Steelers.

Related Players: Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin

Rapoport believes this is a week-to-week injury which could impact his availability for Week 17 as well. Higgins and Boyd get the biggest bump, as a high-end WR2 and low-end WR3, respectively.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor says wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase hasn’t been ruled out for Saturday’s game at Pittsburgh.

Asked today about a report that Chase will miss at least one game with a separated shoulder, Taylor said it’s too soon to determine that.

“We’ll see how the week goes,” Taylor said.

There were reports overnight that Chase would miss at least a week with his shoulder injury, but the Bengals are now disputing that. Hopefully the injury report this week will give owners a better clue as to what Chase's status will be. Owners will have plenty of notice to make lineup adjustments with the contest being played Saturday.