Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase returned to practice today following a hold-in as he seeks a new contract. The Bengals’ Twitter account posted a picture of Chase practicing today.
While Chase was holding in, there was really no thought that it was a serious issue or anything that could extend into the regular season. With the preseason now complete for Cincinnati, Chase is on the field and working with the rest of his teammates as they prepare for their Week 1 matchup against the New England Patriots.
Chase put up his third-straight 1,000-plus yard season in 2023, catching a career-high 100 passes 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns. For his career, he has 268 receptions for 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns. He burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2021 with 81 receptions for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns as Cincinnati made a run to the Super Bowl.
After three elite seasons, with three Pro Bowls and an All-Pro designation, Chase is seeking an extension that would pay him commensurate with the top receivers in the league. With the wide receiver market exploding this offseason, he’s one of many receivers, including Brandon Aiyuk and Ceedee Lamb, looking to cash in.
For Cincinnati, there’s no rush on its end to get a deal done with Chase. He’s entering his fourth NFL season and as a former first-round pick, the team can use the fifth-year option on him. Chase likely won’t want to play under the option, which is the situation with Aiyuk this year, and he’s getting ahead of it with his hold-in this offseason.
But now he’s back at practice and there should be no concerns about his availability for Week 1. He’ll team up with Tee Higgins, who’s also on the final year of his contract, to form one of the best receiver duos in the league.
