Dolphins Could Catch Major Break as Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins Face Injury Concerns

Sports admin October 5, 2026 0 Comments

Dolphins Could Catch Major Break as Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins Face Injury Concerns

The winless Miami Dolphins could catch a break in their upcoming game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase left Sunday’s game in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion.

He was initially listed as questionable to return, but the Bengals later ruled him out. Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor did not provide an update on Chase’s status after the game. However, on Monday, Taylor said Chase will remain in the concussion protocol.

In addition to Chase potentially being out, fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins is now considered day-to-day after suffering an adductor injury late in Sunday’s game. Before his injury, Higgins caught 11 passes for 157 yards.

Without Chase and Higgins, the Bengals’ passing game would be significantly affected. Through four weeks, Cincinnati ranks 10th in the NFL in total offense at 351.8 yards per game. The Bengals also rank fifth in the league in passing offense at 277.5 yards per game, largely because of the trio of Joe Burrow, Chase and Higgins.

The arrow appears to be trending up for the Dolphins defense.

Miami is coming off its best defensive performance of the season in a 15-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Dolphins allowed 336 yards but sacked Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray four times. Before that game, Miami was the only team in the league that had not recorded a sack through three games.

The Dolphins also limited the now 4-0 Vikings to 15 points on the road.

Miami’s defense under first-year coach Jeff Hafley appears to be making significant strides. The Dolphins rank 17th in the NFL in total defense, allowing 335.5 yards per game, and 15th against the run at 109 yards per game.

Hafley believes the Dolphins are close to breaking through and potentially earning their first win of the season.

“Against the Chiefs it was a four-point game going in the fourth quarter, and yesterday we were same thing, one possession away in the fourth quarter from winning,” Hafley said Monday. “We’re getting closer, but we’ve got to be able to finish them out and continue to take those steps. I think the biggest thing is, and I mentioned this to you guys last week, we had our best week of practice.

“We’re getting better. The communication is getting better. The execution is getting better. The physicality is getting better. We’re becoming a better football team. We’ve played really good football teams. And it is about the process, doing our best every single day, pouring everything that we have into it, coaches and players, so when Sunday comes, we go out there and we go play.”

This story was originally published October 5, 2026 at 6:41 PM.