Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase sat out training camp as part of a contract holdout, hoping to land a new deal ahead of the regular season. With Week 1 fast approaching, there have been growing concerns regarding Chase’s availability for the season opener.
Chase, entering the fourth year of his rookie contract, showed up for Bengals practice on Aug. 25, which led to head coach Zac Taylor expressing confidence for Chase’s Week 1 status. Suddenly, Chase stopped practicing and his status became uncertain once more.
- Ja’Marr Chase stats (ESPN): 100 receptions, 1,216 receiving yards, 7 touchdowns in 2023
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The Bengals schedule kicks off on Sept. 8 against the New England Patriots and it had long been viewed as a foregone conclusion that Chase would play. However, the All-Pro wide receiver seemed to change his mind about practicing this week after the team seemingly downplayed the importance of extending his contract right now.
Cincinnati certainly doesn’t have to rush things. It can keep fining Chase for practices missed and take away his weekly game checks. With two years left on his original deal, the team is in no danger of losing him long-term. However, the threat of sitting out regular-season games might be proving effective.
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Appearing on SportsCenter, ESN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported that the Bengals have “intensified efforts” at the negotiating table with Chase in recent days. In fact, there’s now some renewed hope for a deal being reached before Week 1.
“The Bengals, I’m told, are trying to get this done. I’m hearing that they’ve tipped up their negotiations a little bit. And so they’re trying to get him back on the practice field, because he’s been holding in, so this has been a complicated negotiation because he’s got two years left on his contract, the Bengals have a little bit of leverage there. But if this gets done over the next few days, they can get him back on the practice field.”
Jeremy Fowler on Cincinnati Bengals’ negotiations on a Ja’Marr Chase contract extension
- Ja’Marr Chase contract (Spotrac): $1.055 million base salary in 2024, $21.816 million salary in 2025
The Bengals don’t necessarily need Chase on the field in Week 1 to beat the Patriots, but they can’t afford a long-term absence. Playing without one of the best receivers in the NFL forces Tee Higgins into the No. 1 role and means Andrei Iosivas must step into Higgins’ No. 2 spot.
Cincinnati does need to get this done and it certainly makes sense for both sides to reach a deal before Week 1 kicks off. Considering the CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson contracts already provide a framework for Chase’s deal, guaranteed money is likely the only hangup for Cincinnati.
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For now, the expectation should still be that Chase will play for the Bengals in Week 1. Even if he does, though, fans and fantasy managers might not see Chase on the field for as many snaps as they are used to.