Ja'Marr Chase Contract Insights and Future Prospects

Ja'Marr Chase Contract Update

The Cincinnati Bengals have officially finished the 2024 preseason and are now gearing up for their season-opening battle against the New England Patriots. The biggest storyline surrounding the Bengals is the contract situation of star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. Chase did not participate in training camp or any preseason camps but has been present throughout that time period and even traveled with the team to Chicago. Then on Sunday, Chase made his return to practice, seemingly ending his contract hold-in.

Are the Bengals and Chase Close to a Deal?

As of now, Chase still has two full years remaining on his rookie contract with the Bengals, but he has made it clear he is ready to stay in Cincinnati for the long term. According to The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov, Chase and his camp are hoping to see what kind of deals CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Aiyuk get. “They are still talking on an extension. They are still ongoing,” Meirov stated. “The hope from Ja'Marr’s side is that they are able to reach a long-term deal, and frankly, the way they look at it is if CeeDee or Aiyuk get done, and those are in the Justin Jefferson neighborhood, they feel pretty confident that the Bengals are going to have their hands tied.” Jefferson signed the richest contract ever for a wide receiver this offseason, and Chase is seemingly trying to get a similar deal.

How Could Recent Deals Impact Chase?

And wouldn’t you know it, Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys just agreed to a deal, so that could help speed things up with Chase and the Bengals. Meirov added that there is “positive momentum” between Chase and the Bengals regarding a deal but that there’s a very real chance the two sides could postpone a new contract to the 2025 offseason.

For what it’s worth, former NFL agent Joel Corry broke down the next steps for both sides of the negotiations and what kind of money Chase could have lost had he sat out of regular-season games. According to Corry, Chase could lose $1,814,702 if he sits out against the Patriots and the Bengals used all of their penalty rights under the CBA. Thankfully, that no longer appears on the table since Chase is back at practice. Here’s hoping the two sides can hammer out a deal.