Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been present at training camp this summer as the star pass-catcher seeks a lucrative long-term contract.
Chase, 24, has seen other big-name receivers collect paychecks recently. That includes his former college teammate Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings earning a record $35 million annually on his new deal.
While Chase has been present during camp, he has yet to practice. Some would say that he’s engaged in a hold-in from camp, much like Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers.
But for the first time all summer, Chase was not in attendance as the Bengals practiced on Tuesday. Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters at the scene that Chase is “day-to-day and we’ll take it one day at a time,” via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati.com.
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Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase seemingly decides to hold out
It’s surprising that Chase would choose this time to hold out. If this was going to be the case, why not join fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys in failing to report for camp in the first place?
The 24-year-old pass-catcher was eligible for an extension for the first time in his career this past offseason. He’s set to earn a base salary of just $1.06 million in 2024. Cincinnati also picked up Chase’s option for the 2025 NFL season at $21.82 million.
- Ja’Marr Chase stats (2021-23): 268 receptions, 3,717 yards, 29 TD
Chase has earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three NFL seasons. He’s simply been one of the best receivers in the game since joining Cincinnati as the No. 5 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Needless to say, Chase is vastly underpaid in the grand scheme of things. After a flurry of extensions and signings this past offseason, a total of six wide receivers around the NFL are earning at least $28 million annually.
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