Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase returned to the practice field on Wednesday. Observers posted videos online of Chase dressed for practice and holding his helmet, walking with fellow wideout Tee Higgins.
Earlier Wednesday, head coach Zac Taylor was asked if Chase would participate. “We’ll see,” Taylor said.
There was no confirmation as to whether Chase actually took part. Chase, 24, was listed as day-to-day earlier this week as the Bengals prepared to host the New England Patriots in Sunday’s season opener.
There was no indication of any resolution to Chase’s contract stalemate, which has kept him on the sidelines for training camp and the preseason.
ESPN reported that Chase also attended a team meeting and that contract talks are ongoing.
Chase is seeking a contract extension along the lines of his former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson, who reset the market with a four-year, $140 million contract ($35 million per season) that eclipsed the $32 million per year Eagles wideout A.J. Brown receives.
Amon-Ra St. Brown signed a four-year deal worth $30.002 million per year with the Lions, and the Cowboys finally paid CeeDee Lamb’s asking price — four years, $136 million with $100 million guaranteed — last month to bring his offseason holdout to a close. Chase caught 100 passes for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
He’s scheduled to play on the final year of his four-year rookie contract — at a base salary of $1.055 million — and has a fifth-year team option worth $21.8 million for 2025.
The No. 5 pick in the 2021 draft, Chase has 268 catches for 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns in 45 games with Cincinnati.
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