Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase says his injured hip feels good enough to play at least "some reps," Sunday (4:25 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) at Paycor Stadium against the Chiefs.
Speaking to the press before Wednesday's practice for the first time since he re-aggravated a hairline hip fracture in the Oct. 23 win over the Falcons, Chase revealed he scored the winning touchdown the week before in New Orleans with the injury but says he's preparing like he'll play this week.
Chase recalled he hyperextended his right leg catching a 15-yard touchdown late in the third quarter in that Oct. 16 win before he streaked for 60 yards to score the winning touchdown with 1:57 left in the game. but that he's preparing like he's going to play this week.
He returned to practice in limited form last week after being on crutches and said he felt no pain.
"I felt good last week running straight and making cuts," Chase said. "Last week, I even tried to make cuts on my hurt leg as hard as I could, I didn't really feel nothing. I felt good about it."
Chase said he had the big picture in mind when he told head coach Zac Taylor he thought he should rest one more week and not play last week in Tennessee.
"I told him I didn't feel too comfortable yet. I wanted to give myself another week of preparation for the next game if I had a chance to," Chase said. "I just want to get myself the right amount of time. I never really want to rush anything."
Asked if he would still have his signature explosiveness, Chase got a chuckle out of it.
"Hell, yeah man. I'm not even going to let you finish that," Chase said.
_Taylor said running back Joe Mixon remains in concussion protocol, he is showing progress and would be at practice.
_Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow gives the nod to Sunday's opponent as the best quarterback in the NFL. He says Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is "the total package."
_Last year, the theme of the stretch run was, "It's About Us." This year, in response to the juggernaut of a remaining schedule that includes three AFC division leaders (Chiefs, Bills, Ravens), two AFC contenders (Tampa Bay, New England) and a nemesis (Cleveland), the Bengals are saying, 'They have to play us."
"We're really confident in ourselves," Burrow said. "We feel like we can beat any team in the league and we've proven that. We're not going to go out and be scared of anybody."
_There was Bengals history made.. It was the Bengals' first Wednesday practice at the IEL Indoor Facility on a windy day in the high 30s.
