Zac Taylor: Hubbard knee injury not ‘anything significant’

The injury occurred when Hubbard collided with tight end Mike Gesicki as Joe Burrow rolled to his right and connected with Tee Higgins in an 11-on-11 drill.

“Just had a little issue yesterday,” Taylor said Monday. “Obviously, it wasn’t anything significant so he will just be limited or out for a couple days this week, not yet sure.”

Trey Hendrickson also has been out the past three days because of an undisclosed injury that surfaced on Day 1 of training camp last Wednesday. Taylor said the team will continue to take it “day-to-day” with him as well but did not share further details and indicated his issue is much like Hubbard’s.

Right tackle Trent Brown, who opened camp on the Active/Non-Football Injury list is making “good progress " and likely will only miss a “couple more days” before he starts working back into things, according to Taylor.

Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt has now been upgraded to “limited” after sitting the first four days of practice following the removal of his tonsils. A few other veterans were scheduled to be limited or off Monday, including Mike Hilton and Logan Wilson, as the Bengals gear up to put the pads on for the first time Tuesday.

Quarterback Joe Burrow was given essentially a half day off Monday, with plans to dial it back toward the end of practice instead of not throwing Tuesday. He was given the third day off last week and Tuesday would make the end of the second three-day stretch in camp.

“You’ll see everything is really ramping up to (Tuesday),” Taylor said. “(Tuesday) the expectation is the guys that are healthy will go. But these last two days, yesterday and today, there’s been a plan in place for all the guys.”

Asked if that would include Ja’Marr Chase, who has simply been an observer of practices so far, Taylor paused, realizing his mistake with Chase being a healthy scratch to this point.

“That’s a good question (laughs),” Taylor said. “Again, he and I have talked through it and we’ll just continue to stick to that plan.”

Taylor joked even his brother, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor, tries to ask about what that plan is.

The Bengals have remained vague about why Chase is not practicing despite being healthy, and Chase has declined interview requests, but it appears to be contract related as he is set to play on a fifth-year option in 2025 and wants a long-term deal.

Asked for an update on Chase, Taylor simply said “same plan” and further deflected when asked specifically if after four days of not practicing he could be classified as a hold-in based on his contract situation.

“I feel good about how we’ve communicated,” Taylor said.

Taylor wouldn’t share if Chase participates in walkthroughs that are not open to media to watch, but he said he’s been pleased with Chase’s “interaction with his teammates” and helping some of the young guys.

Chase has been seen tossing lightly with Tee Higgins in between drills that Higgins would be a part of, and he’s been providing some instruction to rookie Jermaine Burton and other receivers, which Taylor said is “critical” for their development.

“It’s one thing for the coaches to be telling you something and it’s another thing when it’s veteran players, which at this point, Ja’Marr, Tee, those guys are veteran players, and so, they’ve taken on that role,” Taylor said. “They’ve done a great job with it.”

While it’s unclear the plan for Chase, Taylor has been open about how the team is managing Burrow in his return from November wrist surgery. He will continue to be limited at various times as the schedule moves to two-day stretches starting Thursday, following a day off Wednesday, but not because he has communicated any concerns or issues.

“He feels great,” Taylor said. “There’s nothing he’s communicating that’s otherwise. He feels outstanding. It’s just being proactive with a long training camp. Understanding he didn’t get any practices in August last year, so trying to do right by our team and protect him a little bit from himself, from feeling good and pushing it too much, but he’s been great.”