Bengals Make Contract Move With Star WR Ja’Marr Chase

Getty Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.

The Cincinnati Bengals have arguably the NFL’s best wide receiver in Ja’Marr Chase and want to make sure he doesn’t go anywhere.

The Bengals took the first step toward securing Chase’s services for the foreseeable future by announcing they picked up his fifth-year option on April 24. The option will pay Chase $21.8 million in 2025.

ESPN’s Ben Baby reported on March 24 that the Bengals and Chase had yet to engage in talks about a long-term extension, which he is eligible for.

“At the league’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, Cincinnati Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn told reporters the team has not started discussions with Chase regarding a contract extension,” Baby wrote. “Chase, who has reached the Pro Bowl in each of his first three NFL seasons, is eligible for an extension.”

Chase has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons with the Bengals, including an NFL All-Pro season in 2021, when he was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Chase has 3,717 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns through his first three seasons and has at least 1,000 receiving yards each year.

Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase Have Unique Connection Dating Back to LSU

The Bengals struck gold in back-to-back drafts in 2020 and 2021 when they selected LSU quarterback Joe Burrow No. 1 overall then Chase at No. 5 overall one year later.

Burrow, Chase and Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowler Justin Jefferson formed one of the greatest quarterback-wide receiver combinations in college football history in 2019 when they led LSU to a 15-0 record and the College Football Playoff national championship.

Chase won the Biletnikoff Award in 2019 as the nation’s top collegiate wide receiver with 84 receptions for 1,780 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns — the same year Burrow won the Heisman Trophy — then opted to sit out the 2020 season during the pandemic to focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.

“His burst is effortless, which tends to catch coverage off guard when he really hits the vertical gas,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation of Chase. “His competitive nature and play strength simply act as multipliers for his outstanding ball skills. He hasn’t played football since very early in 2020 and still has work to do, but he should be an early starter and a future Pro Bowler.”

Chase had one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history in 2021 while catching passes from Burrow, with 81 receptions for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns as the two helped lead the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance.

College Teammate Could Set Market for Chase’s Extension

In an interesting twist, it could be Jefferson’s contract extension that sets the market for Chase.

Jefferson, the No. 22 overall pick in 2020, is on track to become the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver of all time — a contract that could exceed $30 million per year. Jefferson was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 after he led the league with 128 receptions for 1,809 receiving yards and is already a three-time NFL All-Pro.

Jefferson had 1,074 receiving yards in 2023 despite playing in just 10 games and his career average of 98.4 receiving yards per game is an NFL record.

“I don’t know nothing about what’s going to happen yet until (Jefferson) signs,” Chase told ESPN before a game against the Vikings in Dec. 2023. “I need to see more numbers from (Jefferson).”