The Cincinnati Bengals were dealt a crushing blow earlier this week as Ja'Marr Chase was ruled out for 4-6 weeks with a hip injury. On Friday, head coach Zac Taylor talked about the possibility of putting his star wideout on the IR, which means he'd miss a minimum of four games:

“He has a hip injury. He will miss some time, and he will make a full recovery,” Taylor said, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “So right now, that’s the information we have. We have a couple more days this week to make decisions on IR and things like that.”

The Bengals have yet to decide if Ja'Marr Chase will go on the IR. But given the 4-6 week timeline reported on Thursday, it would make sense for Cincinnati to do so.

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At this point, it's just a brutal setback for this offense. Chase aggravated the injury last week in a win over the Atlanta Falcons but toughed it out and still ended up with eight catches for 130 yards and two scores. He's in the midst of another fantastic campaign in Year Two, leading the WR room with 47 receptions, 605 yards, and six touchdowns. His absence will surely hurt.

Reports indicate Chase is dealing with a hairline fracture and torn labrum, which basically guarantees he's not going to be playing again anytime soon. You can understand why the Bengals don't want to place him on the IR but it definitely looks like it's trending toward the team having to do just that.

Now, it's up to Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and Hayden Hurst to step up and provide Joe Burrow with some consistent production downfield. Hopefully, Ja'Marr Chase gets well soon because there is no question Cincy needs him in the long run.