Bengals three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase took the Paycor Stadium field at about 10:45 a.m. Sunday, and then was made active for the opener with the Patriots after he went through his pre-game routine with position coach Troy Walters.
Chase running mate Tee Higgins went inactive after being designated doubtful with his hamstring issue. That opened one receiver slot for rookie Jermaine Burton in his NFL debut.
Chase had been questionable all week after he returned to practice Monday and on Saturday he was designated with an illness following a training camp he didn't practice amid negotiations for his contract extension.
But on Sunday he was up, although it was unclear how many snaps he would get as he fought through the illness. He went through his regular routine with Walters of jogging through simulated and streamlined routes as Walters threw him tennis balls.
_Joining Higgins on the inactive list were wide receiver Kendric Pryor, a practice squad callup, as well as rookies at right tackle, Amarius Mims, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr., defensive end Cedric Johnson, and tight end Tanner McLachlan.
_Now the guessing game begins on how much Chase plays. On Friday, Chase said he wouldn't be influenced by Higgins' status and he said he felt he could play close to his usual allotment of 60 snaps and pegged it between 40 and 50. Now, Higgins is out and Chase is dealing with an illness.
