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Ben Child, ESPN Employees Author
CINCINNATI — A contract extension for Cincinnati Bengals vast receiver Ja’Marr Chase is probably not imminent, group president Mike Brown indicated Monday.
On the group’s annual media luncheon, Brown was requested whether or not negotiations will proceed into the common season. Whereas the longtime head govt mentioned, “alternatives can come up unexpectedly” and the group is open to agreeing to a deal whether it is proper for the membership, circumstances aren’t at the moment very best to signal Chase to a contract extension as veterans put together to report for camp on Tuesday.
“It is not so doubtless that that is the nice time to barter,” Brown mentioned. “The offseason is a greater time for that and we will attempt to preserve targeted on the soccer half.
“I am not going to rule something out, however I’ll let you know that the die has most likely been forged.”
Chase, a first-round decide within the 2021 draft, has been a Professional Bowl choice in every of his first three NFL seasons and has set franchise information for many receiving yards in a single recreation and a single season.
Although the Bengals did not make the playoffs final season following quarterback Joe Burrow‘s season-ending wrist damage, Chase nonetheless earned a Professional Bowl nod and completed the 12 months with 1,216 receiving yards, the Twelfth-most within the league.
In what is often his solely media availability of the calendar 12 months, Brown emphasised Chase’s significance to the franchise and the will to get a deal executed.
“He is a key participant subsequent to Joe [Burrow],” Brown mentioned. “He is our subsequent one. He is aware of that. We all know it. This will likely take some time. We’re going to bend over backwards to get it executed. I am unable to let you know when.”
Chase didn’t take part within the group’s voluntary exercises and whereas he did report for the necessary minicamp in June and took part within the walk-through parts of the exercises, he didn’t take reps throughout group drills and declined to remark.
Beforehand, Chase has recognized Justin Jefferson‘s contract with the Minnesota Vikings because the blueprint for his future deal. Jefferson, his former LSU teammate who’s second in complete receiving yards over the previous 4 years, signed a record-breaking extension in June. He signed a four-year contract value $140 million, together with $110 million in assured cash. Each totals are probably the most ever given to a non-quarterback in league historical past.
The Bengals are not any strangers to giving key gamers vital cash. In 2023, Burrow signed a five-year deal value $275 million, which is now tied (with the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ Trevor Lawrence) for the best annual common wage ($55 million) on any deal ever given to an NFL participant. Duke Tobin, the group’s director of participant personnel, underscored Chase’s worth to the group that’s trying to get again to the AFC Championship Recreation for the third time in 4 years.
“Ja’Marr Chase is a uncommon soccer participant,” Tobin mentioned. “If it was simply vast receiver, I would not spend a nickel on it. However it’s Ja’Marr Chase, and so we’ll see what can get executed.”