Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been holding in while he waits for a contract extension, but it doesn’t look like he is going to miss any time during the regular season.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor provided an update on Chase on Tuesday, replying “yes” when asked if he was comfortable that the star pass-catcher would play in the team’s season opener against the New England Patriots.
Chase became eligible for a new deal this offseason and is widely expected to become one of the highest-paid receivers in football.
Currently, Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson—who was Chase’s teammate at LSU—is the richest wide out in the league after earning a four-year, $140 million extension earlier this offseason.
Then, Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb landed a four-year, $136 million pact earlier in the week.
Chase played in 16 games this past season, hauling in 100 receptions for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns en route to his third straight Pro Bowl appearance.
The 24-year-old was selected by the Bengals with the fifth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
He immediately established himself as one of the league’s best wide outs in his rookie campaign, catching 81 passes for 1,455 yards and 13 scores. Then, in 2022, Chase missed five games due to injuries, but still managed to snare 87 balls for 1,046 yards while reaching the end zone nine times.
Will the Cincinnati Bengals manage to keep Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins?
The Bengals have quite the conundrum on their hands, as they have to make two major decisions on two of their best players over the next year.
Chase is under team control through 2025, but if Cincinnati wants to keep him happy, it will almost certainly have to extend him long before then.
Meanwhile, the Bengals slapped a franchise tag on fellow receiver Tee Higgins earlier this offseason, which resulted in Higgins requesting a trade. Higgins later rescinded his demand, but was unable to reach a long-term deal with Cincinnati before the mid-July deadline.
The Clemson product is on track to hit free agency next offseason, and given how much it will cost to lock up Chase for the long haul, it does not seem all that likely that the Bengals will be able to keep Higgins, as well.
There has been speculation that Cincy could potentially trade Higgins sometime in 2024, but unless the team falls out of playoff contention early on, that is probably out of the question.
Ja’Marr Chase and the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to make it back to the postseason after missing out last year.
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