The Cincinnati Bengals have had all offseason to reach a long-term agreement with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. It has not happened.
As a result, Chase is not practicing, and he was not on the field once again for the Bengals on Thursday, via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk.
Chase became eligible for a contract extension after the 2023 campaign, and the general consensus was that Cincinnati would ultimately lock up the superstar pass-catcher.
Obviously, there is still time for the Bengals to do that, but with Week 1 closing in, times are being quite perilous in Cincinnati.
To be clear, Chase is not holding out. He has been present at training camp. He just hasn’t been practicing.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has remained confident that Chase will play in the team’s season opener against the New England Patriots, but it’s becoming more and more dicey.
Chase is under team control through 2025, but he is obviously forcing Cincinnati’s hand here.
The Cincinnati Bengals cannot afford to lose Ja’Marr Chase
Make no mistake: if the Bengals want to make another run at a Super Bowl, they are going to need Chase on the field.
Chase is Joe Burrow’s favorite target and his former LSU teammate, so the two stars have developed quite a connection over the years.
The 24-year-old was selected by Cincinnati with the fifth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Chase hit the ground running during his rookie campaign, hauling in 81 receptions for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance. He also helped lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Los Angeles Rams.
The following year, Chase caught 87 passes for 1,046 yards and nine scores in 12 games, and last season, he snared 100 balls for 1,216 yards while reaching the end zone seven times.
Chase has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three NFL campaigns.
Cincinnati went 9-8 and missed the playoffs last year, which was due much in part to Burrow being sidelined for the back half of the season with a wrist injury.
Now, Burrow is healthy, and the Cincinnati Bengals are raring to make another playoff run. But they’ll certainly need Ja’Marr Chase on the gridiron to do so.
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