REPORT: Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase Wants 1 More Penny Than Justin Jefferson

When Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase came into the league as a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, he said he was going to break “every receiver record they have.”

Apparently, earning a record-setting contract for NFL receivers is among one of the records he was talking about according to a report from CBS Sports.

Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase wants more than Justin Jefferson

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport in an article from CBS Sports, Chase doesn’t just want a contract that is higher than Justin Jefferson’s record-breaking four-year, $140 million contract. Chase only wants a contract that is worth one more penny than Jefferson’s contract.

“My understanding is that the two sides are still discussing a long-term extension, that, if he got it, would make him either: Tied for the highest-paid receiver with Justin Jefferson, or beating Justin Jefferson by one cent, which I believe is the goal by Ja’Marr Chase,” Ian Rapoport said this week.

Chase and Jefferson are familiar with each other as they were both a part of the National Championship-winning LSU Tigers team that rolled through the college football world in 2019-2020.

The two receivers are friends, so it is not surprising that Chase wants to one-up one of his old college buddies.

Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase has been “holding in”

For the entirety of the 2024 offseason, Chase has been showing up to every practice and training camp session in street clothes.

With the exception of Tuesday’s practice, Chase has refused to participate in any team sessions, though Paul Denher Jr. of The Athletic says he is getting plenty of work in on the side.

After Chase came back and participated in Tuesday’s practice, many thought he was officially gearing up for the 2024 season and would play the season without a new deal. Head coach Zac Taylor even said that he expected Chase to practice for the rest of the week.

The very next day, Chase showed up to practice in street clothes and Taylor was forced to go back on his Tuesday statement. Taylor admitted that he may have spoken too soon in an article from ESPN.

“I think every day is a new day,” Taylor said Wednesday. “We’ll keep working through it. Not going to make predictions on what tomorrow brings.

“I think I probably put my foot in my mouth speaking too quickly. Again, this is a day-to-day situation. We’ll just keep seeing it as that.

“At the end of the day, Ja’Marr’s a great dude that means a lot to this team, and we’ll just continue to take it day to day.”

 

Chase once again showed up to practice in street clothes Wednesday, allegedly going out of his way to make sure the media saw him arriving to practice without gear.

Ja’Marr Chase walking out to practice in street clothes as the team goes through the early drills for second straight day. pic.twitter.com/0A3pCxHH1I

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) August 29, 2024

While Chase still has two years left on his contract because the Bengals picked up his fifth-year option, it still might behoove the Bengals to pay him now.

Contracts in the NFL only go up and paying Chase now could save them tens of millions of dollars in the future. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was given a 10-year, $450 million contract worth an average of $45 million a year.

Despite being widely considered the best quarterback in the NFL, Mahomes is earning $10 million less than fellow quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow and Jordan Love.

Chase is actually doing the Bengals a favor by allowing them to pay him this early and he is likely going to be earning less money himself if the deal gets done before the 2024 season.

Get More NFL and College Football Content

For more news and trends in the college football world, click here or follow me on Twitter @KusleikaAndrew.