Ja'Marr Chase Leaves Bengals Practice with Left Knee Hyperextension, Says He's Fine

On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase left practice after landing awkwardly on his left knee while attempting a deep catch from quarterback Joe Burrow. Chase grabbed the knee, hobbled off the field outside Paycor Stadium, and did not return for the remainder of the session — but he walked away under his own power without a cart and later described the scare as a minor hyperextension, saying he felt fine.

Editor’s note: This article draws on reporting from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Sports Illustrated, ESPN 1530, and FantasyPros, August 25, 2026. The Bengals had not released a formal medical diagnosis at the time of publication.

Injury at a glance

Detail	Information
Date	Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Location	Bengals practice field, Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati
Player	Ja’Marr Chase (WR, All-Pro)
Injury	Left knee hyperextension (player’s description)
How it happened	Deep route; awkward landing on a pass from Joe Burrow
Immediate status	Walked off under own power; evaluated on sideline by trainers
Practice status	Did not return for remainder of Tuesday’s session
Team statement	No official diagnosis released

What happened at practice

Chase was running a deep route during Tuesday’s outdoor practice when Burrow delivered a pass downfield. Chase jumped for the ball and landed awkwardly — he told reporters afterward that his foot stuck in the ground on the landing, forcing the knee into an overextended position.

The star receiver immediately grabbed his left knee and remained on the turf briefly before getting up. Head athletic trainer Matt Summers evaluated Chase on the sideline. Chase then walked back to the bench without assistance and was later seen stretching the leg, according to beat reporters on site.

The moment froze the sideline. Chase is the Bengals’ top offensive weapon and one of the NFL’s most productive wide receivers; any knee injury to him carries outsized weight for a franchise built around his connection with Burrow.

Chase did not re-enter practice after the incident. The club had not announced whether imaging would be performed or how many sessions he might miss.

Chase’s post-practice comments

Speaking to ESPN 1530 hosts Mo Egger and Tony Pike after practice, Chase offered a reassuring account.

“I’m feeling good, I’m fine,” he said, calling the injury a slight hyperextension. He added that he was not fully sure what happened on the play but emphasized he wanted to keep practicing.

At his locker, Chase expanded on his status:

• “If I had a game tomorrow, I’d play.”
• He said he tried to go back in and continue practicing after the scare.
• He described the issue as his left knee and maintained he avoided anything more serious.

Chase’s public confidence did not replace an official team diagnosis. NFL clubs often withhold full medical details until imaging confirms the extent of soft-tissue or bone injuries — hyperextensions can range from day-to-day soreness to swelling that sidelines a player for several practices.

Team and media reaction

Bengals radio play-by-play announcer Dan Hoard was not at practice because of a speaking engagement. He wrote on social media that the first person he saw afterward asked, “How bad is the Chase injury?” — and that he “nearly fainted.”

Hoard said he made it to the locker room in time to hear Chase say he was fine and wanted to keep practicing. One coach told Hoard that he knew Chase was OK when the receiver started “chirping at the defense from the sideline.” Hoard tagged the moment “#PhewDey” — a nod to the local fan shorthand for relief when a scare passes.

National NFL analysts and fantasy outlets picked up the story within hours, focusing on whether Chase avoided ligament damage. Sports medicine commentators who reviewed video of Chase walking afterward generally expressed cautious optimism, noting he moved without trainers but sometimes kept the left knee slightly bent — a possible sign of capsular soreness or a bone bruise rather than a structural tear. Those assessments were speculative until the team confirms.

Camp context and what comes next

Tuesday’s scare landed three days before Cincinnati’s preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, August 28. The Bengals’ 2026 regular-season opener follows weeks later, with Burrow and Chase expected to anchor an offense that leaned heavily on the receiver’s production after his contract extension.

It was not the first knee hyperextension at Bengals camp this summer. On July 29, defensive end Shemar Stewart — Cincinnati’s 2025 first-round pick — suffered a left knee hyperextension during an 11-on-11 drill and was carted off. CBS Sports later reported Stewart avoided structural ligament damage and returned to rehab work within weeks. Chase’s episode looked less severe on the field: no cart, immediate walking, and a player insisting he could have continued.

Until the Bengals release an official update, Chase’s practice availability for the rest of camp and his status for Friday’s exhibition remain open questions. Even when athletes say they are fine, teams often hold star players out of contact as swelling develops over 24–48 hours — a common precaution after hyperextension injuries.

For now, the headline fact is what Chase and eyewitnesses reported on August 25: a frightening practice moment, a walk-off under his own power, and a player who says a game tomorrow would not keep him on the sideline.

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Discussion

1. Chase walked off without a cart and said he would play if a game were tomorrow — but the Bengals held him out for the rest of practice. Should Cincinnati sit him through Friday’s preseason finale even if he feels ready, or does he need live reps before the regular season?

Preseason games are partly about protecting stars; Chase’s value is so high that one more cautious week may outweigh exhibition snaps.

2. This is the second hyperextension knee scare at Bengals camp this summer after Shemar Stewart’s July 29 injury. Does that pattern say anything about practice intensity, turf, or coincidence — or is it simply the risk of full-speed August drills?

Stewart’s case ended without ligament damage; Chase’s outcome is still pending official confirmation.

Share how you read Tuesday’s scare and what you would want the Bengals to do before Week 1.

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This article is news reporting, not medical advice. Injury diagnoses and recovery timelines should come from the team and qualified medical professionals.