The Cincinnati Bengals received the kind of Week 1 practice update they wanted Monday: Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were both back in uniform as the team began preparing for its season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The return does not automatically mean either receiver is fully cleared for a normal workload, and Cincinnati’s first official injury report of the regular season will provide a more precise participation level later in the week. Still, simply getting both starters back onto the practice field represents a meaningful step after a stretch in which the Bengals had been managing Chase’s left knee and Higgins’ heel.
Chase and Higgins move closer to Week 1 availability
Chase had been sidelined from visible on-field work after hyperextending his left knee during an Aug. 25 practice. Higgins, meanwhile, was dealing with a heel contusion that kept him out of recent practices. Head coach Zac Taylor had consistently downplayed concern about either injury and indicated the team expected both receivers to be ready for the opener.
Monday’s development supports that optimism. Chase was in uniform for practice after an extended period without visible football work, while Higgins also suited up after his heel issue had kept him on the sideline. Reports from the session did not establish that either player handled a full practice workload, so Cincinnati still has a progression to monitor before Sunday.
That distinction matters. A player returning to the field is different from a player completing a full practice, and the Bengals have little incentive to rush either receiver early in game week. The more important question is whether Chase and Higgins can stack practices without a setback and enter the weekend without a significant restriction.
Why the Bengals’ offense changes with both receivers available
Cincinnati’s offense is built around the stress Joe Burrow can create when defenses have to account for Chase and Higgins at the same time. Chase is the coverage-dictating centerpiece, capable of winning vertically, turning shorter throws into explosive gains and forcing safeties to declare their intentions before the snap. Higgins adds a different problem with his size, catch radius and red-zone value.
When both are available, defenses have fewer clean answers. Tilting coverage toward Chase can leave Higgins isolated. Playing more conservative two-high structures can create opportunities underneath and open lighter boxes for the run game. Pressuring Burrow becomes more dangerous because Cincinnati can quickly punish one-on-one matchups outside.
That is why Monday’s practice news matters more than a routine early-week participation note. The Bengals are not simply trying to get two starters back. They are trying to open the season with the structure of their offense intact.
Chase remained one of the NFL’s most productive receivers in 2025, catching 125 passes for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns. Higgins also produced a major season and reached his first Pro Bowl after recording 59 catches for 846 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns. Their combination gives Burrow one of the league’s most difficult perimeter pairings to defend.
Tampa Bay now has to prepare for Cincinnati’s full passing-game menu
The timing is important because Cincinnati opens against a Buccaneers team that also enters game week with its own receiver injury questions. Tampa Bay has been monitoring Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan, creating a matchup in which both teams have spent the transition from preseason to the regular season watching the health of important pass catchers.
For the Buccaneers’ defense, the best-case scenario would have been preparing for a Cincinnati offense missing at least one of its primary wideouts. Monday made that possibility look less likely. Even if Chase or Higgins is technically limited during the week, their presence changes how Tampa Bay must allocate practice time and design coverages.
The Bengals also benefit from the opportunity to re-establish timing before the opener. Training-camp repetitions matter, but game-week work with Burrow has a different purpose. Cincinnati can use the next several practices to sharpen third-down spacing, red-zone combinations, option routes and the communication details that often determine whether a high-end passing offense starts quickly or spends September finding its rhythm.
What Cincinnati still needs to see this week
The next checkpoint is Wednesday’s official injury report. That will clarify whether Chase and Higgins are listed as full, limited or non-participants and provide the first standardized snapshot of their Week 1 status.
From there, the Bengals will be looking for a simple trend: increased work, no setback and no late-week downgrade. If both receivers progress normally, Cincinnati should be positioned to open the season with Burrow, Chase and Higgins together.
The early signs are favorable, but the Bengals are not at the finish line yet. Monday’s return was the necessary first step. The remaining practices will determine whether the optimism Cincinnati carried through the injury-management period translates into a full-strength receiving corps when the Buccaneers arrive at Paycor Stadium.
For more NFL coverage and Week 1 developments, follow Football Sports News’ NFL coverage.