Chase and Higgins miss Wednesday practice as Bengals assess receiving depth

Cincinnati’s top two receivers did not practice Wednesday, October 7. The Bengals’ first Week 5 injury report lists Ja’Marr Chase with a concussion and Tee Higgins with groin and neck injuries, both as nonparticipants. Their Sunday availability against Miami remains unresolved.

The completed report is the current participation evidence. An earlier coach update had suggested Higgins would be limited, but the team’s updated practice account said he was on the sideline rather than practicing. The official report subsequently recorded DNP. Chase remains in concussion protocol.

Rookie Colbie Young was limited with a knee injury. His participation is another development for a receiving room that finished Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville without Chase and Higgins, though it does not establish his Sunday role.

On Cincinnati’s final drive against Jacksonville, Mitch Tinsley opened with a 29-yard catch. Mike Gesicki added an 18-yard reception, and Dohnte Meyers followed with a 15-yard gain. The Bengals’ Monday feature says Tinsley and Meyers worked in all three receiver positions, giving Joe Burrow options despite the missing starters.

Meyers finished with seven catches for 82 yards. Tinsley had three for 49, while Gesicki caught three for 40 and a touchdown. Those totals document Sunday’s production. They are not a promised distribution for the next game, particularly while Chase’s and Higgins’ statuses remain open.

The depth questions extend beyond the two injured stars. Andrei Iosivas was on the sideline with his hand in a cast after thumb surgery, and rookie Colbie Young also was unavailable with a knee injury, the team’s Monday feature reported. That context helps explain why the remaining receivers moved between positions during the final drive.

For roster decisions, Wednesday’s report leaves Chase and Higgins without practice participation, while Young has resumed limited work. Subsequent reports and the final availability announcements remain the next checkpoints. Sunday showed which players Cincinnati used in an emergency; it does not establish the next game’s target distribution. Chase must still complete the concussion protocol before returning.