The Cincinnati Bengals didn't extend wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase ahead of this season and, one way or another, the franchise is going to pay for it in the coming years.
Chase is having a monster season, leading all pass catchers in the three main statistical categories: catches (93), yards (1,319) and touchdowns (15), per ESPN. He caught 14 passes for 177 yards and 2 TDs just against the Dallas Cowboys on "Monday Night Football."
Chase, 24, wanted to be the highest paid wideout in league history ahead of this season and is on his way to finishing off the strongest possible campaign one could make toward that outcome.
Signing him to such a deal would mean Cincinnati commits more than $140 million to Chase over four years ($35 million annually) with a fully guaranteed amount north of $110 million. Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson earned those numbers in his most recent deal, which broke records as the largest non-quarterback agreement in NFL history.
Despite Chase's greatness, at some point in a salary-capped sport a paycheck simply gets too high. That reality, coupled with comments from quarterback Joe Burrow on Monday that he is confident the Bengals can bring back receiver Tee Higgins on a new deal indicates a possibility that Cincinnati could forego paying Chase the record deal he wants -- and perhaps eventually even part ways with him altogether.
"There are a number of teams around the NFL who believe that's too much to pay a wide receiver, regardless of his talent. If the Bengals turn out to be such a team, is it possible they'd pivot?" ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote on Wednesday, Dec. 11. "Signing Higgins would be both their best leverage against Chase in negotiations (if you don't want to be here, this guy does!) and their best insurance against losing him."
The likelihood is that there exists another franchise that would pay historically for Chase, though the Bengals wouldn't have to move him immediately and could delay the wide receiver's payday for years to come.
Cincinnati exercised its fifth-year option on Chase's contract for 2025, which means he's on the roster next year at $21.8 million. The Bengals could also use the franchise tag to keep Chase for a sixth season, just as they did with Higgins this year to lock him into a fifth campaign.
Waiting years to ink a long-term deal is always bad news for an NFL player, and Chase was upset publicly this preseason that he didn't get the offer he wanted. Things are liable to only get worse if next season rolls around and Chase still doesn't have his bank secured.
Related: Fans in Disbelief Over Ja'Marr Chase's Reported $140 Million Decision
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This story was originally published December 11, 2024, 8:12 PM.