If the Cincinnati Bengals want to get an extension done with Ja'Marr Chase before the start of the season, it looks like they're going to have to write a pretty hefty check to make it happen.
Chase, according to NFL Media, wants a new deal that will make him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. That title currently belongs to Justin Jefferson, who got a new four-year, $140 million extension in June. Chase isn't looking to blow that deal away. Instead, he simply wants to beat it by ONE PENNY.
"My understanding is that the two sides are still discussing a long-term extension, that, if he got it, would make him either: Tied for the highest-paid receiver with Justin Jefferson, or beating Justin Jefferson by one cent, which I believe is the goal by Ja'Marr Chase," Ian Rapoport said this week.
That's right, Chase wants to beat Jefferson's deal by a single cent, so it appears that a four-year extension worth $140,000,000.01 will get the job done. Chase and Jefferson were former teammates at LSU, so it's not a huge surprise that the Bengals receiver wants to top his buddy.
Although it's a hefty price to pay, it would make some sense for the Bengals to get a deal done now. Chase still has two years left on his rookie deal, unlike Jefferson, who only had one season left when he signed his extension.
For the Bengals, the advantage of doing a deal now is that they would be able to spread out Chase's cap hits over six seasons. Chase is set to make just $1.055 million in base salary this year followed by a fifth-year option in 2025 that would pay him $21.82 million. If the Bengals matched Jefferson's deal (or gave him one cent more), they'd have Chase under contract for the next six years for a total of $162.88 million or $27.15 million per year, which sounds much more team friendly than $40 million per year.
The drama between Chase and the Bengals has gone on all offseason. The receiver sat out every practice of training camp before returning to the field this week. After Chase worked out with the team at the beginning of the week, that prompted coach Zac Taylor to declare that the receiver would definitely be playing in Week 1 against the Patriots.
Apparently, Chase didn't like that statement, because after Taylor made the comment, the receiver refused to take the field for Cincinnati's practice on Wednesday. After that session, Taylor didn't seem so sure whether Chase would be playing in the opener. "I probably put my foot in my mouth speaking too quickly," Taylor said on Wednesday, referring to his comments from Monday.
It's a difficult situation for the Bengals because it's unprecedented in NFL history. It's almost unheard of for a player with two years left on his rookie deal to sit out in a contract dispute, especially a non-quarterback. It's also rare for a non-quarterback to get a new deal with two years left, but it has happened. Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith -- who were both in Chase's draft class -- both got a new deal this offseason and that might be why Chase also feels like he deserves one now. That being said, Waddle and Smith both got their deals done amicably and they didn't miss any practice time (Smith got his new deal in April while Waddle got his extension in May).
Waddle and Smith both signed three-year extensions so they're now under contract for five more years. It's unclear if Chase is looking to get a three-year deal at $40 million per year (plus a penny) or a four-year deal at $40 million per year (plus a penny).
From a contract standpoint, Chase doesn't really have any leverage. If a player is healthy and doesn't practice, they can be fined by the team. However, it's unlikely the Bengals would go that route. Taylor has tried to serve as a peacemaker in this situation. Also, Chase knows how important he is to the Bengals, thanks to comments that owner Mike Brown made before training camp.
"He's a key player next to Joe [Burrow]," Brown said in late July. "He's our next one. He knows that. We know it. This may take a while. We are going to bend over backwards to get it done. I can't tell you when."
Although Brown said the team would bend over backwards to get a deal done, he also said a new contract likely wouldn't happen before the start of the season, which is why the Bengals are in their current conundrum.
"It's not so likely that this is the good time to negotiate," Brown said. "The offseason is a better time for that and we're going to try to keep focused on the football part. I'm not going to rule anything out, but I will tell you that the die has probably been cast."
With just 10 days to go until the Bengals opener against the Patriots, the clock is ticking on the two sides to get a deal done. If they don't get a deal done, it will be interesting to see if Chase is willing to sit out any games in an effort to his new extension.
