Last year, just before the curtain rose on the regular season, the Cincinnati Bengals unlocked the vault for their quarterback, Joe Burrow, with a market-level contract. This year, the looming question is: Will wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase get his payday?
Mixed Signals and Strategic Maneuvering
Bengals owner Mike Brown has been sending up smoke signals, showing hesitation about extending Chase’s deal before 2025. Meanwhile, Chase has been staging a "hold-in" throughout training camp, only dipping his toes in practice once. Now, that’s a move straight from the playbook!
At one fraught moment, Coach Zac Taylor faced the press gauntlet, asked point-blank if Chase was being fined for skipping practice. His silence was louder than any answer. The verdict? Yes, Chase is indeed getting fined.
Media Distraction and Silent Tensions
Despite this storm brewing, it hasn’t erupted into public chaos, thanks partly to the media’s tunnel vision on the Cowboys, who seem to be hogging all the buzz. Plus, the Bengals and Chase’s camp have been tighter than a drum, offering few sound bites to fuel the fire. But, make no mistake, this situation is about as pretty as a fumble on the goal line and could turn downright explosive if Chase doesn’t secure his deal by Thursday.
The Why and the What-For
Why, pray tell, are the Bengals being as slow as molasses in extending Chase? We all know that delaying these contracts is like playing with fire; the price tag never dwindles, only soars.
- Delay Tactics: The Bengals are likely trying to drag this out past the fourth year to keep costs lower, even if short-term savings are negligible.
- Financial Tightrope: Without a new deal, the Bengals owe Chase a bargain-bin salary of $4.8 million for 2024. That’s chump change when you compare it to the paydays awaiting elite players, à la Micah Parsons who’s working his fourth year for $3 million.
Certainly, kicking the can down the road to 2025 saves the Bengals some immediate dough. But let’s be real—it doesn’t make it right. Some naysayers argue that Chase has two years left on his rookie deal, so what’s the rush? However, the rookie wage scale, adopted in 2011, ensures first-round picks get a raw deal if they perform well, like Chase has done. These players deserve a big payday pronto.
Sure, some teams drag their heels with first-round picks (Take a bow, Vikings, for doing this with Justin Jefferson). But hey, the Bengals gave Burrow a new contract after just three years. Why shouldn’t Chase get his due as well?
The Waiting Game
The big question hanging in the air is whether the Bengals will bring enough green to the table to make Chase bite. The clock is ticking, folks. If this deal doesn’t materialize soon, we just might get a front-row seat to all the drama that’s been bubbling beneath the surface between Chase and the Bengals these past weeks.
Stay tuned. This showdown could easily become the story of the season quicker than you can say, “Touchdown, Chase!”
