Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has taken the league by storm since being drafted in the first round in 2021, with the fifth overall pick.
The 2024 season was his best to date. He led the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, earning himself the triple crown. Then there are games like the current Bengals Week 6 game against the Green Bay Packers that have fans wondering if Chase is injured.
Is Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase Injured?
The Bengals and Packers are currently at halftime of their Week 6 matchup at Lambeau Field. The Packers lead the Bengals 10-0 at the half, and Chase has been all but non-existent.
While Chase might not be having the impact that fans expect, he is not injured. In the first half of the game, Chase had just two catches for 14 yards and one run for -3 yards. While an average of seven yards per catch is good, it only helps the team if the ball gets in his hands.
Chase did pop up on a late week injury report after appearing healthy all week. Bengals head Coach Zac Taylor listed him as questionable for Sunday’s game, and it was revealed that it wasn’t an injury, but rather an illness.
Instead, it seems more likely that Chase is struggling without his regular quarterback, Joe Burrow. The Bengals’ offense was outstanding in 2024 with the dynamic trio of Burrow, Chase, and Tee Higgins. Unfortunately, Burrow suffered from turf toe that required surgery. He is expected to miss most, if not all, of the season.
After Burrow was injured in Week 2, Jake Browning took over for him but lost the three games he started. Taylor and the Bengals decided they didn’t want to throw their whole season away, and in an attempt to salvage the year, they traded within their own division, getting Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns.
Ja’Marr Chase fantasy managers after watching one half of Joe Flacco pic.twitter.com/3xMKhnZw3Q
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) October 12, 2025
Chase clearly had undeniable chemistry with Burrow. They had the kind of connection NFL fans dream of. But he struggled to develop that same chemistry with Browning. However, it seemed better than the Flacco-Chase hook-up. While this game is Chase’s first game with Flacco, it still feels like they also need to work on their on-field connection.
During the 2024 season, Chase was one of the top fantasy players in the league. Despite his rocky start to the 2025 season, PFSN’s WR Impact metric still assigns Chase a grade of B, ranking him 16th in the league through five games.
If the Bengals hope to salvage this season, then they desperately need Chase and Flacco to get on the same page.
