With Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase suspended for his team’s Week 12 game against the New England Patriots, the offense will need some other names at the position to step up.
Tee Higgins will slot into the No. 1, of course. But a hodgepodge of names behind him could scrap for targets at different spots behind him.
While some fans might hope this is an opportunity for Jermaine Burton to make a difference, the more likely outcome is an uptick in chances for Mitchell Tinsley.
Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher confirmed that “a host of guys” will get a chance to step up.
“It’s going to be a whole host of guys that we will afford opportunity. That was a message to them this morning when we talked to the team,” Pitcher said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “When you don’t have Ja’Marr available, everybody has eyes in their head. They can see how big of a piece he is to what we try to do week in and week out.
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Burton has been a staple of the inactives list this season amid reports that Bengals coaches don’t trust him.
Tinsley, on the other hand, is a former undrafted player who made the final 53-man roster after an excellent preseason, then caught a touchdown in limited action during a win over Jacksonville.
If one had to guess, Higgins, Andrei Iosvias and Tinsley are in line for the biggest chances with Chase out.
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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals unveil plan to replace Ja’Marr Chase during WR’s suspension
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
