The Cincinnati Bengals missed the postseason last year despite WR Ja’Marr Chase and his Triple Crown heroics. Considering as much, the organization certainly doesn’t want to see what life is like without him. After failing to present him with a satisfying extension last offseason, they have no choice but to get one done now.
And, of course, Chase gets to strike while the iron is hot. Last season, he finished with 127 catches for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. Every single one of those is a Bengals franchise record, the latter tied with Carl Pickens. The other two are pretty much landslides, Pickens one of only two other Bengals receivers to ever catch 100 passes in a single season.
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin called a new deal for Ja’Marr Chase a “priority for us”. And despite their failures to reach a deal last year, he seems quite confident. Last year, reportedly, Chase turned down the Bengals’ offer due to poor cashflow in the deal. But Tobin kept citing recent deals as a basis for what they can do with Chase.
“It’s something we feel like there’s a framework to work off of. Should be a pretty easy framework to work off of”, Tobin said. He is referencing mega deals with the likes of Chase’s college teammate, Justin Jefferson. “Guys in his position have recently re-done contracts. We believe in Ja’Marr, he’s very important to us. The other guys that have done contracts are very important to their teams. So, we believe there’s a real framework to work off of. I would expect that we could come together on something that makes sense for both sides”.
Jefferson stands atop the wide receiver pay scale on a deal that pays him $35 million per season. There are currently six receivers making $30 million or more, namely CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyreek Hill, and Brandon Aiyuk. The Bengals will have to pay up beyond $35 million per year to get Chase to agree to a new deal.
During the 2025 season, Chase will be playing under his fifth-year option barring a new deal. If he declines the Bengals’ offer, he will still earn $21,816,000 this year. He has already pocketed more than $30 million in his career, nearly two-third of it from a signing bonus.
Since the Bengals drafted Ja’Marr Chase, he has 395 receptions for 5,425 yards and 46 touchdowns. He has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons, and has made the All-Pro List twice. During the 2024 season, he earned first-team All-Pro honors for the first time.
