Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is one of the most prolific wide receivers in the sport, and wants to be paid as such.
Despite having two years remaining on his current deal, and set to count $9.8 million against the cap this season, Chase is in the midst of a training camp “hold-in” and has yet to practice this summer.
According to NFL Insider Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, there hasn’t been any progress towards Chase and the Bengals getting a new deal done with the regular season opener now just over two weeks away.
“The Ja’Marr Chase situation in Cincinnati remains one of the more under-covered storylines in the league,” Meirov writes for the 33rd Team. “Chase has not practiced all of training camp and is looking to become the NFL’s highest-paid receiver.
“Talks are still ongoing, but the clock is ticking, and no one seems to know what will happen if no deal is reached.”
While it is encouraging that Chase and the Bengals remain in talks, there remains some uncertainty over exactly when the 24-year-old will return to the field and what his status holds for Week 1 against the New England Patriots.
Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase Seeking New Deal in Exploding Market
Fresh off a 2023 season in which he set new career highs for receptions and receiving yards, Chase has seen the wide receiver market explode.
A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown each spent time as the highest-paid wide receiver in the league this offseason, with DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle — each chosen in the same draft class as Chase, signing megadeals, while Justin Jefferson reset the market by agreeing to a four-year pact worth $140 million with the Minnesota Vikings.
Chase is likely looking to top his former college teammate’s deal and reset what became one of the more explosive position markets and has developed into a premium position on NFL rosters as well.
The Bengals currently have upwards of $18 million in cap space, as Week 1 looms.
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