The Cincinnati Bengals kick off their season on Sunday by hosting the New England Patriots. If everything goes according to plan, Ja’Marr Chase will be a happy camper by then, with a brand-new contract extension that could make him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL.
Reports suggest the former LSU superstar wants to top his former teammate Justin Jefferson’s contract by a grand total of one penny and the Bengals may be inclined to agree. So far, a deal hasn’t been completed, but that could be changing later today.
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Is Ja’Marr Chase’s contract almost done?
Last year, when everyone was focused on the NFL’s season opener, the Cincinnati Bengals stole back some of the spotlight by signing Joe Burrow to a massive contract extension, making him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.
Could the Bengals repeat history? After all, later today, the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs kick off the regular season on NBC. But it was Adam Schefter who added fuel to the fire, with what could be a hint at the Bengals being close to a Ja’Marr Chase contract extension, one that we could see get completed today.
Chase has returned to practice this week after previously holding out in an effort to secure an extension. It’s possible Chase’s return to action ties directly into the Bengals being close to a deal. Or, of course, maybe he’s just getting antsy for the start of the season and knows he needs to get in game shape too.
However, another ESPN colleague of Schefter isn’t so sure. According to Dan Graziano, if a Chase extension doesn’t get done in the next day or two, the Bengals may have to begin play without their Pro Bowl receiver’s participation.
Either way, if the Bengals want to make their superstar receiver happy, their time is running out before Sunday’s kickoff. But maybe they take care of business today. We’ll find out soon enough.
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