Zac Taylor has been dropping gems in his interviews with the media during the Cincinnati Bengals start of practice. From revealing how the team plans to bring their star quarterback Joe Burrow back from injury, to now giving some insight into where the team stands in the contract talks with Ja’Marr Chase.
The team has had numerous stars call for trades including their other top receiver Tee Higgins. While Higgins has already said he will be with the team for this season, his time with the Bengals should be coming to an end soon. This opens the door for a huge contract for Ja’Marr Chase who the team needs to keep for their star quarterback.
Zac Taylor And Cincinnati Bengals Need To Keep Ja’Marr Chase
The team has not had Ja’Marr to start their voluntary offseason practice so far this Spring. It is clear that Chase wants to get paid the way he sees some of the other top stars in the NFL getting theirs. His college teammate Justin Jefferson recently got the most any non quarterback has ever gotten and surely Chase wants at least the same.
Chase just became extension eligible this offseason after finishing his third season in the NFL, and he knows he deserves a huge pay raise based of his incredible play at such a young age. His absence to start the season has many analysts wondering if he will also be a no show at the mandatory minicamp which starts next week.
Head coach Zac Taylor was honest about the situation and he seems to not be sure if Chase will be there just yet. It seems the plan is to sign Chase ahead of the season, but the Bengals seem to want to push it off as much as possible:
“I’ve talked with Ja’Marr,” Taylor said, (first transcribed by ProFootballTalk). “I won’t get into our conversations, but we’ve had great dialogue.”
Chase has been undoubtedly one of the best receivers in the NFL the moment that he stepped on the field as a rookie. This past season, even with missing numerous games to injury, Chase totaled: 100 receptions for 1,216 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Chase has been able to surpass 1000+ yards receiving in every single season so far, and that is with missing numerous games to injury in each season. The Bengals should not play around with this contract situation and pay him as soon as possible. You cannot have both Higgins and Chase walk next year.
Hopefully the two sides can work out a deal prior to the start of the season, as the Chase and Burrow connection that goes back to their college days at LSU has been one of the most special connections in the NFL.
Chase may push this all the way to the season after watching many receivers get huge pay days this off season, Bengals fans just need to hope that they get the deal done before the season starts. Chase is fundamental to their offensive production, and if they are going to lose Higgins at the end of the season, they absolutely need to keep Chase for years to come.
Related: Zac Taylor Reveals Interesting Plans For Joe Burrow’s Return From 2023 Injury
