As efforts to work out extensions in the cases of CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys) and Brandon Aiyuk (49ers) take place, uncertainty also looms over Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals Pro Bowler continues to watch training camp from the sidelines as he seeks a monster extension.
[Offseason In Review: Cincinnati Bengals]
Chase – unlike his receiver peers who have yet to secure a lucrative second pact – is under contract for two more years since the Bengals made the obvious choice of picking up his 2025 fifth-year option. An extension, as has long been known, will cost far more than the $21.82MM he is due next year. Justin Jefferson‘s $35MM-per-year Vikings extension represents a target for Chase and other wideouts in similar positions, but the terms of that pact may not be sufficient to get a deal done.
Multiple teams are of the view that Chase will be the league’s top earner amongst non-quarterbacks once his contract is in place, Yahoo’s Charles Robinson writes. That title belonged to Nick Bosa last year, but Jefferson eclipsed him with his Vikings pact – one which includes nearly $89MM in guarantees. That extension has Jefferson in a tier of his own with respect to not only AAV but also locked in compensation, and Chase (along with Lamb and Aiyuk) is likely to close the gap between Jefferson and the rest of the field.
Bengals owner Mike Brown has confirmed Chase’s extension is a key organizational priority (one which will require breaking with standard organizational procedure and committing guaranteed money beyond Year 1). Keeping him in place with quarterback – and former LSU teammate – Joe Burrow would help keep Cincinnati’s offensive positioned for success, but Brown has suggested the team is willing to wait one year before finalizing a massive extension. As Robinson notes, the Bengals seem to be struggling to come to grips with the potential of a record-breaking pact being necessary to get Chase back on the field.
With Cincinnati’s preseason in the books, attention will increasingly turn to the 24-year-old’s willingness to miss regular season time if no extension agreement is reached. A recent report indicated Chase was OK with delaying negotiations until 2025 – and therefore waiting until the Lamb and Aiyuk accords are in place – but it remains to be seen if he will suit up in time for Week 1. As Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic writes, the 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year himself may not have his mind made up at this point (subscription required).
There is of course still some time for Chase and the Bengals to come to an agreement either on a new deal or an arrangement to pause talks until after the coming campaign. This situation will no doubt be influenced by those of Lamb and Aiyuk, but those pending free agents face more urgency to get a deal done in time for September. A very late extension agreement (like the one worked out for A.J. Green in 2015) could still be in the cards, but plenty of unanswered questions remain regarding Chase’s immediate future.
