After participating in some light practices earlier in the week, Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase observed practice from the sideline over the past few days. This tactic appeared to be a resumption of his training camp hold-in, with the wideout continuing to seek a lucrative contract extension. With Week 1 rapidly approaching, it sounds like Chase’s efforts may be working.
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According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bengals have “intensified” their efforts to extend Chase in recent days. The organization’s goal is to get the wideout back on the practice field for the start of next week, and there’s some optimism within the building that the two sides can find common ground.
As has been noted throughout this saga, Chase’s two remaining years are a hurdle in negotiations. Fowler adds some more context, noting that the Bengals are wary of guaranteeing too much money when they still have the former first-round pick locked in through the 2025 campaign.
From a total-value perspective, it sounds like the Bengals are more than willing to meet Chase’s demands. Per Fowler, the organization is willing to pay Chase more than $30MM per season, although it was already assumed the front office would have to promise this AAV considering six wideouts are now at or above that threshold. We heard recently that multiple teams expect Chase to actually top Justin Jefferson‘s $35MM AAV, but it sounds like Chase’s guarantees would trail Jefferson’s $88MM-plus in guaranteed money.
Chase appeared to have abandoned his hold-in earlier this week, with the wideout attending practice. Zac Taylor was pretty definitive that his star wideout would be available for Week 1, but things took a turn as the week went on. Chase attended practices on Wednesday and Thursday but was spotted wearing street clothes, and Taylor was quick to walk back his previous comments.
Taylor’s declaration could end up being correct. However, it sounds like the two sides still have to overcome their contract staring contest before next Sunday.
Might as well pay him $35m a season now. In two year’s time, he’ll be worth around +$40m (and complaining about his contract).
Exactly, just pay the man. The price will just go up next year especially if he has a good season.
Why? He’s under control for 2 more seasons. What happens if they extend him now at huge money and he suffers a career ending injury in week 3?
He’s under contract and team control. Let him sit
Pulled hammies are hard to medically define. But as usual, the Bengals will be cheap and lose another season do to it.
“Intensified” = “sign this, pretty please… OK, OK, with sugar on top”
The guy still has several years left on his rookie contract, thus they don’t need to pay him at all at this point.
But what you fail to understand is that in the NFL their “contracts” aren’t real unless there is guaranteed money. In MLB all contracts are guaranteed whereas in the NFL if you get hurt tomorrow you could possibly lose everything.
BTW – the NFL made $13 billion last season alone. I thing the Bengals can afford to pay a top 25 player $35 million+ a season
The only part of any contract in the NFL that is actually a contract is the guaranteed portion. If Jamar were a bust or were injured the Bengals could cut him at any time and only be due to pay the guaranteed portion of his rookie contract.
3 years is more than enough time thee days for him to have proven that he is a superstar caliber player. Pay him and stop being poor at business. All the Bengals are doing is souring the relationship and setting him up for an even larger pay day next season.