The Bengals added LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase with the 5th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Chase opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns but had nothing left to prove after a massive 2019. He set single-season SEC records with 1,780 yards and 20 TDs. And he did it as a true sophomore battling for targets with Justin Jefferson, who just set the record for receiving yards by a rookie, and Terrace Marshall, who is expected to be a 1st- or 2nd-rounder this year. Chase goes 6’0, 201 pounds but plays bigger. He’s physical through his routes, at the catch point and after the catch. And he’s excellent going deep, leading the nation with 24 catches 20+ yards downfield in 2019, per Pro Football Focus. Chase blew up his Pro Day, blazing a 4.34-second 40-yard dash and registering a huge 41-inch vertical to earn a 98th percentile Relative Athletic Score. “Chase is one of the best wide receivers in the last 10 years,” a longtime scout told The Athletic’s Bob McGinn. “He can take an underneath ball and go 80 yards. He can just run right by you and catch it 60 yards downfield. He’s built like a fullback almost, but can run like a wide receiver. He’s as good as it gets.” Chase reunites with QB Joe Burrow in Cincinnati as part of a loaded WR corps alongside Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Any of those 3 could lead the team in targets this season.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins suffered a hamstring injury early in Sunday's game vs. the Ravens. He's officially questionable to return, but don't expect to see him back out there in this meaningless finale. Higgins' rookie campaign ends 92 yards shy of 1,000.

Update: Higgins has been ruled out for the game.

The Bengals have ruled WR Tyler Boyd (concussion) out for Sunday's game against the Texans. That positions Tee Higgins as the clear #1 WR against a bad Houston secondary. Cincinnati will also get QB Brandon Allen back. The Bengals left him off the final injury report for the week after Allen missed Week 15 with a knee injury. Allen is nothing special but raises the passing-volume ceiling. Higgins looks like a decent WR3 for Week 16.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins (hamstring) is active for today’s game against the Cowboys. The hammy and Cincinnati's QB play leave the rookie as a shaky fantasy play.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins (hamstring) is expected to play against the Cowboys today, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The rookie was limited in practice all week. Between the hammy and Cincinnati's QB situation, Higgins is a risky fantasy play.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cowboys after a limited week of practice. We're expecting the rookie to play. But between the hammy and Cincinnati's QB play, Higgins isn't a recommended Week 14 fantasy starter.

The Bengals will start QB Brandon Allen against the Giants this weekend, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Cincinnati has evidently seen enough of QB Ryan Finley, who struggled in 3 starts last year and in place of QB Joe Burrow last week. Allen has been with the Bengals since August, spending the first 11 weeks of the season on the practice squad. A 6th-round pick of the Jaguars back in 2016, Allen's only 3 NFL starts came with the Broncos last year. He averaged 172 yards and 1 TD per game on a 46% completion rate and 6.1 yards per attempt. Cincinnati's offense is in serious trouble.

The "initial diagnosis" on Bengals QB Joe Burrow's left knee is a torn ACL, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "There may be additional damage," Rapoport adds. Burrow has already tweeted that he's done for the season. We'll look for another update on the final damage and exactly how long Burrow will be sidelined. He might not be a lock for the start of the 2021 campaign. QB Ryan Finley will step in for Burrow the rest of the way -- a huge downgrade for the offense.

Sustained winds of 20-30 mph with gusts up to 50 are expected for today's Bengals-Steelers game. This was already a tough spot for Cincinnati's passing game. We've also scaled back our projections for QB Ben Roethlisberger and his pass-catchers. Avoid Ks Chris Boswell and Randy Bullock today.

The forecast for today's Titans-Bengals game calls for winds of 20-30 mph. That's just past the threshold of when we start to worry about the passing and kicking games. We're lowering our projections for both passing games a tad and would avoid both kickers in this game. Note that the Bengals will be without all 5 of their starting offensive linemen from Week 1 today. Their implied total has sunk from 25.75 to 21.5.

The Colts had 1 player and 3 staff members originally test positive for COVID, but all 4 have come back as false positives, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. So the Bengals-Colts game is on for Sunday. We'll let you know if that changes.

The Colts had "several" COVID tests come back positive, insider Kevin Bowen reports. The team's facility has been closed as they confirm the tests. This weekend's Colts-Bengals game is now in question. Stay tuned for updates.

Bengals WR John Ross is a healthy scratch for today's game vs. the Eagles. Rookie Tee Higgins has taken over as Cincinnati's #3 WR. We'd love to see the Bengals trade Ross and give him a shot elsewhere.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins has yet to take part in full-team work due to a hamstring injury, insider Geoff Hobson reports. The rookie has been participating in individual drills, so he shouldn't be too far from 100%. Cincinnati is also missing WRs A.J. Green (hamstring) and John Ross (personal). When everyone's healthy, Higgins will be battling Ross and Auden Tate for the #3 job behind Green and Tyler Boyd.

The Bengals selected Clemson WR Tee Higgins with the 33rd overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. A 5-star recruit and top 20 player overall in the 2017 recruiting class, Higgins broke out as a sophomore in 2018. He led the Tigers with 59 catches and 12 TDs that year, finishing 2nd with 936 receiving yards. Higgins caught another 59 balls last season and set new career highs with 1,167 yards and 13 scores. His 19.8 yards per catch was good for 6th among players with 40+ grabs. He averaged a big 13.4 yards per target, and his 3.67 yards per route run ranked 2nd among 30 of this year’s top WR prospects — behind only CeeDee Lamb. Higgins’ 27 career receiving TDs are tied with DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins for the most in school history. At 6’4 with 96th percentile arm length, Higgins is a classic big-bodied receiver who wins with size and ball skills. He opted not to work out at the Combine and disappointed with a 40 time in the mid 4.5s at his Pro Day. But the tape and college production say Higgins is a good bet for NFL success. He'll battle with John Ross and Auden Tate for snaps behind A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd this season. But Green is on the franchise tag, while Ross and Tate are only under Cincinnati’s control through 2021. Tied to QB Joe Burrow, Higgins has landed in a nice spot.