Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is reportedly out for this Saturday's crucial matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

Chase is dealing with an AC joint sprain, and the Bengals were previously optimistic about the prognosis, but it seems as if he will miss this weekend's game, which is a big one for the AFC playoff picture. Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Chase will miss this huge game with his shoulder injury, meaning Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd will have to step up in the wake of the superstar wide receiver's absence.

Via Kelsey Conway:

“Zac Taylor rules out Ja'Marr Chase to play vs. the Steelers on Saturday Bengals.”

The Bengals come into the matchup at 8-6, with their latest loss coming against the Steelers by the score of 16-10 on Nov. 26. It was the first game after Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending injury. Since then, Jake Browning has played well in three-straight wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings, frequently linking up with Ja'Marr Chase along the way. Both the Jaguars and Vikings wins were in overtime.

The Steelers come in on a three-game losing streak since beating the Bengals. This upcoming game is virtually a must-win for Pittsburgh to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot in the AFC.

The Bengals hold the sixth seed in the AFC and are tied with the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills, while the Steelers are one game behind that group. It will be a tight race for the Wild Card spots in the AFC, and if the Steelers want to keep any hope alive, they need a win against the Bengals.

The Bengals can put themselves in a great position for the playoffs with a win, and it would be a crucial one with a trip to Arrowhead Stadium coming up the week after against the Kansas City Chiefs. They will have to get that win without Ja'Marr Chase. It will be interesting to see how the Bengals and Jake Browning can deal with the absence of Chase on Saturday, and if the wide receiver will be able to make a return for the Chiefs matchup.