For all the tension surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals and their fruitless attempts to extend receiver Tee Higgins, there may be a bigger problem on the horizon.
It’s no secret that the Bengals want to keep receiver Ja’Marr Chase around for the long haul. But doing so might require more than just making him the most expensive non-quarterback in the sport.
Chase is under no obligation to be the first receiver paid this offseason, especially given how much ammo potential extensions around the league might give him. As things stand, Cincinnati doesn’t seem particularly close to reaching a deal.
Insider Jonathan Jones revealed Chase’s contract demands for CBS Sports.
“So around Labor Day, he was already around $36 million AAV (average annual value),” Jones said. “Ja’Marr Chase coming off an incredible year, you know well he’s looking for a little bit more than that and whatever that number may be.
“40, right? The Bengals would be willing to go up a little bit, it’s not just 35.1. It could be 36, it could be 37.5. But 40, that’s a big number to go out there and go five/six million above what the current market is. They’re not close.”
A $40 mil APY would be a record-breaking number making Chase the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history.
Chase’s combination of talent, timing, and production give him unique leverage. Justin Jefferson set the bar for Chase’s next deal before the 2024 season. In the meantime, Chase had one of the best receiving seasons in NFL history.
Posting 127 catches, 1,708 yards, and 17 touchdowns, Chase earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections as well as Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year votes. He won the triple crown, joining Cooper Kupp and Steve Smith Sr. as the only players to do so since the turn of the century.
The Cincinnati faithful don’t have to feel anxious about Chase leaving. There might be negotiations through the media and bluffs on either side, but players like this just don’t hit free agency without something going seriously wrong. The Bengals might be cheap, or hesitant to pay two receivers top money. But they aren’t nearly incompetent enough to let a talent like Chase slip away.
It might take some time – and perhaps some compromise – but Chase is going to get paid sooner or later, it’s just a matter of how much Cincinnati eventually ponies up.
