CINCINNATI – Just as Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have stood together for the coin toss prior to each game during the Cincinnati Bengals’ seven-game winning streak, the trio will be gather this evening in honor of a sendoff rather than kickoff.
Burrow is scheduled to have surgery Friday morning in Birmingham, Ala., for the turf-toe injury that knocked him out of Sunday’s 31-27 victory against the Jaguars and is expected to sideline at least another 12 weeks while Jake Browning runs the offense.
Higgins said he and Chase plan to head over to Burrow’s house together this evening.
“I know he’s hurt and ain’t been in the building, but at the end of the day we’re still brothers,” Higgins said. “I’m definitely gonna go by his house and check in on him.”
“I might bring him some food, keep his hopes high,” he added. “Just keep a smile on his face. When you’re with the guys 24-7, then you get hurt, you’re not in the building as much, you kind of miss those conversations with your teammates and things like that. So we’re going to go over there and keep those conversations going, keep him in the loop game plan-wise if he wants.”
Would Burrow really be interested in the gameplan on the eve of surgery?
“Oh yeah, he probably wil,” Higgins said.
Chase was asked how tough it is to not only see the franchise quarterback, but his close friend to go yet another season-ending surgery, his third in six seasons.
“It sucks. It sucks,” Chase said. “But for me, I just try to make sure I keep him company, make sure his spirit’s still high. Make sure he’s still active a little bit, not down on himself.
“All the small things that just keep him above being hard on himself,” he added. “Today I’m going to try to go to his house after I’ll just go chill with him.”
It’s not just the volume of injuries adding up.
It’s the timing of this one, just six quarters into the season and after the entire offense was together for a full, healthy offseason.
Higgins said he knows this one is weighing on Burrow more mentally.
“Because obviously he was looking forward to this season, preparing,” he said. “He went through a whole training camp, probably the first time. All of us going through a whole training camp.
“I know he was ready for this season. It probably does suck for him.”
That’s why Chase and Higgins are making sure to pay Burrow a visit before he flies out for his scheduled surgery.
But it’s not just Joe that Chase and Higgins have to be concerned about.
Both have been considered among the best players on the team for a few years, and both received huge contract extensions this offseason.
“I feel like we have to step up more in that leader role for sure and try to help be with Jake leading the offense, commanding the offense,” Higgins said.
Chase always has been viewed as a leader, but teammates named him a captain for the first time this season.
“I still want to be myself, and they still want me to be my authentic self but also want me to speak up more,” Chase said. “I’m not going to say that was Joe’s job, but that was more of his role.
“I want to say just being a leader, more of a vocal leader really, like (head coach Zac Tyalor) told me at the beginning of the year,” Chase continued. “And now this is the moment where I have to speak up a little bit and just let the guys know. We’ve got to make sure we on top of it today, Thursdays, Fridays, any day.”
Burrow was heavily involved in the final games in 2023 when he was out with the wrist injury, both on the sideline during games where he could be sounding board for backup Jake Browning, while helping the receivers and the rest of the team during the week.
There is one other element that makes this injury feel different for Burrow, one that might lift his spirits even more than comfort food and a visit from Chase and Higgins – it’s not officially season ending.
Taylor said Wednesday the team isn’t shutting the door on the possibility of Burrow returning.
“I just feel like this one, it’s not as severe as the other ones,” Higgins said. “Obviously he’s out for a while, but I think he can still come back by playoff time.”
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