Of the notable players missing the start of Cincinnati Bengals OTAs this week, none were more notable than wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
But head coach Zac Taylor? He’s not all that concerned.
In a statement that will give Bengals fans deja vu after similar conversations last year and even before that, Taylor stressed trust in his guys.
“I think that they’ll get to work in at the necessary time. And please, we have a high turnout for voluntary workouts,” Taylor said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I told the guys I understand it’s voluntary. I appreciate them showing up. The guys who don’t are still working hard elsewhere and they’ll be back at the right times. And the beauty is we know those guys, we know what they’re about, and that they’ll be ready and focused when it’s time to come back.” …
Chase working out away from the team isn’t all that unusual. And no, it doesn’t have anything to do with a contract extension he’s confirmed he’d like to wait on, anyway.
The real attention-getter is Higgins, the franchise-tagged star who has yet to sign. But it always seemed like it would be training camp, not the spring, where he would put ink to paper and get out there playing on that tag — barring an extension before July 15.
