When the Cincinnati Bengals visited the practice field at Halas Hall on Thursday, they faced off against a Chicago Bears team on the rise and took part in a meaningful joint practice.
These two teams will go at it on Saturday during Preseason Week 2, but this practice taught us quite a bit about the Bengals, as things stand.
Following practice, Jeremy Rauch of FOX19 gave fans a live report via social media and there seemed to be one, glaring concern.
It was overwhelmingly obvious that quarterback Joe Burrow missed his top wide receiver.
"Today was the first day that it really looked like, 'my goodness, Joe Burrow needs Ja'Marr Chase,'" Rauch said.
Two takeaways in two minutes after watching the entire #Bengals practice in Chicago.
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) August 15, 2024
1) The obvious became more obvious.
2) Was it good Bears or bad Bengals? pic.twitter.com/CWBdM2RSjJ
Rauch went on to describe situations where, whenever Burrow looked down field to try and find an open receiver, he seemed to be staring down Tee Higgins, struggling to see anything he liked.
"It just looked like Joe Burrow wasn't comfortable ... This offense does not 'go' without Ja'Marr Chase on the field," said the FOX reporter.
In total, Burrow was picked off by the Bears' starting secondary on three separate occasions.
Now, Rauch did say the Bears defense looked very strong. Chicago's defense finished last season on a tear and appears to be carrying that momentum forward into the 2024 season. But, if the Bengals are going to contend, they're going to need to find ways to get past the tougher defenses in this league.
When will the Bengals give Ja'Marr Chase a new contract?
For those who may not be familiar with the situation, Chase has been sitting out training camp as he awaits a new contract from the Bengals. During an offseason where he has seen countless peers get new deals across the league, Chase is still waiting his turn.
Funny enough, Higgins is also due for a new contract as he has opted to show up and play out the 2024 season on the franchise tag. Cincinnati is in quite the predicament with their wide receviers.
The Bengals kick off the regular season on Sept. 8 against the New England Patriots, and it would be shocking not to see both sides come together on a new contract before then. The Higgins situation will play out into next offseason, more than likely. But, it seems far more likely that Chase will get a new deal done before Week 1.
If a new contract doesn't happen, then the Bengals could be in some real trouble without their no. 1 weapon. Again, if Cincy is wanting to seriously compete for a Super Bowl this year, they cannot do it without Chase. That has been made abundantly clear.