Chase and Higgins Clear Injury Scares Ahead of Bengals' Orange-Out Opener
Two star receivers clear late-camp injury scares just in time for Cincinnati's annual orange-out season opener.
The Bengals host Tampa Bay in their annual "Open in Orange" game with star receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins clearing late-camp injury scares in time for Week 1. Getting both wideouts on the field for the home opener removes one of the few real question marks hanging over an offense that was never Cincinnati's actual problem last season.
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Edge rusher Shemar Stewart, feared to have a serious knee injury weeks ago, is close to returning but won't suit up Sunday, another real absence for a defensive front that has to prove it's actually improved. Cincinnati named seven team captains heading into the opener. The Bengals did make real, significant investments on that side of the ball this offseason, trading for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II and signing edge rusher Boye Mafe and interior lineman Jonathan Allen in free agency — a genuine overhaul after last year's defense was the roster's clearest weakness.
Chase, 26, is coming off a real monster year — 125 catches for 1,412 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2025 — and Higgins, 27, added 79 receptions for 1,034 yards and 9 scores in just 14 games, giving quarterback Joe Burrow one of the league's genuinely most productive receiver duos in the entire NFL even in a lost season: Cincinnati finished 6-11 last year, missing the playoffs entirely despite that individual production up front.
I could really feel it in my bones, in my soul, in OTAs this year.— Joe Burrow, Bengals quarterback, on the team's Super Bowl chances
Defensively, they just need to be average, mediocre. If that defense plays just average, I think the Cincinnati Bengals have a shot.— Chris Broussard and Andrew Hawkins, First Things First
Burrow himself has been direct about the stakes this year, saying he's "tired of saying next year, next year, next year" and that "this is it" for a roster he believes is genuinely Super Bowl-caliber. Our take: that confidence is easy to understand given the receiver room he's throwing to, but bold talk after a 6-11 season is exactly the kind of overconfidence that invites real skepticism — and the entire premise depends on a defense that hasn't proven it can be even average yet, let alone good. Stewart's continued absence up front only adds to that real uncertainty, and a shootout-shaped opener against Tampa Bay's own explosive offense is a tough opening test for a group still trying to answer that exact question.
Week 1 Prediction: Score, Spread & Player Prop
Bengals -3.5 home favorites (moneyline -198, Buccaneers +164), per ESPN and SI.com.
Total sits at 51.5, the highest of any Week 1 game. Our pick: Bengals 30, Buccaneers 24 (Over).
Ja'Marr Chase OVER 89.5 receiving yards. Chase topped 89 yards in more than half his games last season and draws a Tampa Bay secondary in a shootout-shaped total.
Odds and props reflect market consensus across DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM as of this week — lines move, so check your own sportsbook before kickoff.
Bengals' receiver room clears up before Week 1
Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both suffer injury scares.
Both receivers clear to play; Shemar Stewart still not ready to suit up.
Bengals host Tampa Bay in the annual 'Open in Orange' game.
Cincinnati's two biggest offensive weapons are both full-go for the orange-out opener.
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Sources: Bengals.com, Cincy Jungle, AtoZ Sports, SI.com Betting