Barring a successful appeal, which appears unlikely, Chase will miss Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots (9-2). The league announced the suspension -- which will cost Chase “$448,333 in docked pay -- late Monday afternoon.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said earlier Monday that he hadn’t heard anything from the NFL, but he was hoping Chase’s prior behavior in similar high-stress, emotional situations would factor into the decision. He called it an outlier.
“First of all, I’ve always been impressed with how Ja’Marr’s handled himself, because he is in a lot of these situations where he’s got a target as a top player,” Taylor said. “He gets a lot of respect that way, so guys try to do a lot of things to get his attention, get him off his game. I’ve always thought it was unbelievable how he’s handled himself in high-pressure, emotional decisions. Obviously, what happened is crossing the line and we can’t have that. I know he’ll own up to that. Beyond that, I’ve always sat up here and praised Ja’Marr, because he’s one of the best leaders we’ve got, the way he goes about everything. He plays with a ton of emotion. He plays with a ton of leadership. Our guys respond to that, and I’ve always appreciated how he’s handled himself.”
Chase denied the incident Sunday when local media asked about Ramsey making an accusation Chase had spit at him, and on Monday, Chase declined to talk to reporters waiting at his space in the locker room.
Taylor said he is not concerned about the incident reflecting poorly on the organization, nor is it an accurate representation of the type of leader Chase is for the Bengals. Chase is one of the offensive captains this year.
“Ja’Marr’s one of my favorite players,” Taylor said. “I love how this guy handles everything that he’s been a part of, so making one mistake doesn’t disregard everything this guy’s done that’s been positive for us. … We’re not all perfect. We’re going to make a mistake here and there, but I stand by Ja’Marr. I know it’s an emotional situation. I know there’s a lot of things going on there that lead to things like that. We’ll just continue to move forward.”
The Bengals need all the weapons they can get on the field Sunday as the Patriots bring an eight-game winning streak into Paycor Stadium. Cincinnati is desperate for a victory to bring any kind of optimism it can get amid what appears another lost season.
Taylor said Trey Hendrickson is doubtful again this week, as he continues to nurse a hip/pelvis injury, and Cam Taylor-Britt is likely headed for surgery to repair a Lisfranc foot injury that has him in a boot and using a scooter to get around. His season could be done, if that is the case.
Meanwhile, Joe Burrow is nearing his potential return, but it might be too late to make a difference. Taylor said Burrow came out of last week’s return to practice “feeling good,” including after some 7-on-7 work and individual drills.
The hope is to integrate Burrow into 11-on-11 drills this week and see how that goes before determining if and when he’s even capable of playing.
“Now we continue with the rehab phase next week, and that’s 11-on-11, that’s getting bodies around him, seeing how he feels, seeing how he moves, and so, until we’ve done any of that, there’s no reason for me to speculate on when it’s going to be,” Taylor said.
The Bengals last Monday opened the 21-day window for him to practice without being added back to the 53-man roster, so the clock will be ticking next week on that decision.
Taylor said the team’s record doesn’t factor in, despite the Bengals’ chances of making the playoffs appearing slim.
“I think right now, he’s of the mindset that he wants to play football for us, and so again, it’s we’ll just continue to get through his rehab progression and see where that ends up before we make any decision on how we want to proceed,” Taylor said.
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