Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase Not Practicing Despite HC’s Promise That He Would

Ja’Marr Chase

is one of the

NFL

‘s premier receivers, though he’s certainly testing the patience of the

Cincinnati Bengals

‘ faithful with his antics this offseason.

For context: Chase is seeking a contract extension as he heads into the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, though his fifth-year option has already been picked up for the 2025 season. Following

Justin Jefferson

‘s four-year, $140 million extension and

CeeDee Lamb

‘s subsequent four-year, $136 million extension, Chase is no doubt looking for a similar figure on his next contract.

He’s been “holding in” this offseason, attending walkthroughs and meetings but not actually participating in practices or preseason games. Head coach Zac Taylor claimed that would finally change this week, as the Bengals prepare for their Week 1 matchup with the

New England Patriots

.

However, at Bengals practice on Wednesday, Chase showed up to the team facility in street clothes with no intention of putting on the pads.

At this point, there’s no telling when, or if, Chase plans to suit up for the Bengals. The game against the Patriots on September 8 feels like a soft deadline for any contract negotiations, but his hold out could feasibly last into the season if he feels slighted by the Bengals’ latest offers.

The Bengals Can’t Afford To Wait On Extension

Chase’s price will only go up the longer Cincinnati waits to extend him

Jefferson and Lamb remain the only contemporaries in Chase’s age range and talent-level (though

Amon-Ra St. Brown

may have something to say about that), and their recent extensions offer something of a benchmark for Chase to aim for.

By pedigree alone, Chase is actually the most impressive of the trio. He was the highest drafted of the bunch, going fifth overall to the Bengals in the 2021

NFL Draft

. And in his rookie season, he did something Lamb and Jefferson have yet to do by making the Super Bowl.

It’s the postseason where Chase has truly shined, as he posted a 45/558/3 receiving line over his first seven playoff games during his first two seasons in the league.

Chase is also the youngest of that triumvirate, as both Lamb and Jefferson are almost a full year his senior. If quarterback

Joe Burrow

comes back healthy this season and helps Chase produce a career season, the Bengals will have no choice but to hand Chase the biggest wide receiver contract ever, given his age and the ever-expanding salary cap.

All that being said, Chase hasn’t been dominant since his electrifying rookie year in which he caught 81 passes for 1455 yards and 13 touchdowns en route to being named Offensive Rookie of the Year.

He caught 100 passes for the first time last year, but he also posted the lowest touchdown total (7) of his career. After averaging a comical 18.0 yards per reception during his rookie season, he’s averaging 12.1 over the last two campaigns.

The Bengals may want to wait out this season to ensure he’s actually in the “elite among elites” tier before paying him commensurate with that kind of status. Of course, that patience comes with a cost if Chase is as good as most believe, and with Burrow’s $275 contract already on the books and Higgins demanding a new nine-figure contract of his own, Cincinnati is caught between a rock and a hard place with Chase’s hold-in.

There’s still over ten days to go until the Bengals have to suit up for their first regular season affair of 2024. Whether or not Chase is there with the team appears to be a mystery to everyone involved.

Source: Kelsey Conway | Cincinnati Enquirer

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise. All salary info via Spotrac.