Ja’Marr Chase shows up late to practice in street clothes amid contract talks

Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase showed up late to Wednesday’s practice and was in street clothes one day after Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said the three-time Pro Bowler would continue to practice.

Chase, who has two seasons left on his contract, appears to be looking for a new deal. Earlier this month, ESPN’s Adam Schefter spoke about the unique scenario involving Chase’s contract.

“I think right now, this is the one that to me remains the most mysterious because unlike Brandon Aiyuk and CeeDee Lamb, Ja’Marr Chase has two years left on his contract, not one,” Schefter said.

Lamb has since signed a four-year, $136 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys, and it’s possible that Chase wants to be paid in a similar manner.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Chase has dominated over his first three NFL seasons, catching 29 touchdowns and clearing the 1,000-yard mark in each season.

After winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and getting a Pro Bowl nod in the 2021 season, Chase has earned two more Pro Bowl selections over the last two seasons.

In the 2023 season, despite playing some games without star quarterback Joe Burrow (injury), Chase still finished with 100 receptions for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games.

While the former top-five pick may want to lock in a long-term deal to secure his future, the Bengals aren’t in danger of losing him based on his contract. Unless Chase decides to start sitting out games (Week 1 is next week), the Bengals can point to the final two seasons on his deal as a reason to wait to give him another contract.

Since coming into the NFL, Chase has missed just six regular season games (five in the 2022 season and one last season).

Chase played with Burrow in college at Louisiana State University (LSU), so it would make sense to keep him with the star quarterback at the professional level. However, the Bengals may not want to shell out a massive contract – like the one that Lamb got – before they need to.

It’ll be interesting to see if Chase returns to practice at some point in the next week. The Bengals open up the 2024 NFL season on Sunday, Sept. 8 against the New England Patriots.