The Cincinnati Bengals are still embroiled in a contract drama with Ja’Marr Chase. Now, another wrinkle has been thrown into the equation, and it involves Chase’s former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson.
Chase wants his new deal to be worth one more cent than Jefferson’s, via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: According to coach Zac Taylor, #Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase is expected to play Week 1. pic.twitter.com/Bdly8EPEhb
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2024
“My understanding is that the two sides are still discussing a long-term extension, that, if he got it, would make him either tied for the highest-paid receiver with Justin Jefferson, or beating Justin Jefferson by one cent, which I believe is the goal by Ja’Marr Chase,” Rapoport said.
Chase has been “holding in,” which means he’s been attending meetings and walkthroughs while also skipping several practices as he lobbies for a new deal. If the three-time Pro Bowler gets his way, he will become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL by a penny. Superstar football players are still human, and who doesn’t love a practical joke?
Chase, though, still has two years left on his rookie deal after Cincinnati picked up his fifth-year option. Does it make sense for the club to negotiate right now?
The Bengals could save cap money yearly
Cincinnati could give Chase a lower average annual salary than Jefferson by giving him a longer-term contract, via CBS Sports’ John Breech.
“For the Bengals, the advantage of doing a deal now is that they would be able to spread out Chase’s cap hits over six seasons,” Breech explained. “Chase is set to make just $1.055 million in base salary this year followed by a fifth-year option in 2025 that would pay him $21.82 million. If the Bengals matched Jefferson’s deal (or gave him one cent more), they’d have Chase under contract for the next six years for a total of $162.88 million or $27.15 million per year, which sounds much more team friendly than $40 million per year.”
Essentially, the Bengals would add four more years to the two that Chase is already under contract for, rather than having to hand him a brand-new deal. This would not only give both sides more long-term security, but it would also give the Bengals more flexibility to make other moves. While Chase, quarterback Joe Burrow, and fellow receiver Tee Higgins are all great, the squad has question marks both in the backfield and on defense, so the front office could use the extra cash.
Jefferson’s market-setting deal was for $140 million over just four years, which averages out to $40 million per. At this point, it seems unlikely that Chase will get anywhere near that average.
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