The Cincinnati Bengals are facing a pivotal situation with star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who is currently seeking a new contract before the start of the NFL season.
Chase, who has been notably absent from much of the team’s training camp, is holding out (in) for a new deal as the Bengals prepare to kick off their season against the New England Patriots on September 8th.
However, as of now, no agreement has been reached.
Chase, who signed a four-year, $30 million contract in 2021, still has two years remaining on his current deal.
Despite this, he is aiming for a more lucrative contract, motivated by recent high-value deals secured by other top receivers, such as his former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson, who recently inked an historic four-year, $140 million extension.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has expressed uncertainty about whether Chase’s contract demands will be met before the season begins.
“The one again that just makes me wonder is the Bengals one right now,” Schefter said on his podcast. “And we’ll see if that’s valid or not, I don’t know that it is, but that’s the one that I’m curious about because he’s got a longer amount of time, because he’s got a team that’s seemingly, they could correct me if I’m wrong, seemingly less resistant to do an extension right now.
“What does Ja’Marr Chase do if a deal is not in place in the coming days and weeks when the regular season is about to begin, we have not heard from him on that topic, he has not said anything. So it’s just something to monitor and keep in mind.”
With the regular season rapidly approaching, time is running short for the Bengals and Chase to finalize a new agreement.
The window for completing such deals typically closes with the end of the offseason, and Bengals owner Mike Brown has suggested that the opportunity for a new deal might have already passed.
“We already heard from the Bengals Owner Mike Brown who came out and said that in his words that, the dye has been cast and the time to do these deals is in the off season and he doesn’t think a deal should be done till after the season and Ja’Marr Chase, essentially hasn’t practiced at all since training camp,” Schefter added.
Given Brown’s comments and Chase’s limited participation in training camp, it seems increasingly likely that Chase may start the season without the new contract he desires.
While it’s clear that Chase is an elite receiver who is either in – or extremely close to – the class of Jefferson, the Bengals are the ones holding all the cards in the standoff.
Having said that, Cincinnati would be foolish to not have Chase in their long-term future plans.
How do you think the situation plays out???