Though a number of offers — most notably the one in Minnesota — remodeled the receiver market this 12 months, no extra tectonic shifts stay for the Bengals to look at. The market’s subsequent seismic transfer figures to return out of Cincinnati. Will the perimeters hammer out a deal now or find yourself ready till 2025?
Ja’Marr Chase has practiced in a restricted capability in every of the previous two days, doing so after beforehand yo-yoing between a hold-in and collaborating. Whereas this bodes nicely for Chase’s availability in Week 1, this example is just not but settled. The fourth-year wideout is not viewed as a lock to be on the field in opposition to the Patriots.
Not often known as a staff that offers in on these issues, the Bengals could also be pressured to deviate from their regular contract practices to lock down Chase. The staff doesn’t supply non-quarterbacks ensures past Yr 1 of extensions, making the Bengals among the many few NFL groups who nonetheless proceed this manner. Jefferson, nonetheless, reset the market by securing $110M assured ($88.7M at signing) and the Cowboys quickly gave CeeDee Lamb $100M assured ($67M at signing). The market is successfully set for Chase, who’s a 12 months youthful than each gamers.
Chase is angling to prime Jefferson’s $35M-per-year accord and whereas the assure construction figures to current extra issues for the Bengals than reaching that AAV will, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes the team has submitted a “important, important” supply to the All-Professional expertise. The group had recently intensified its effort to extend Chase and this course of goes all the way down to the wire.
It isn’t identified if the events will shut down negotiations after the common season begins, however latest Bengals negotiations have proceeded this manner. Tee Higgins and the staff stopped speaking after a below-market offer annoyed the team’s WR2, with essentially the most profitable receiver contract in Bengals historical past — A.J. Inexperienced‘s four-year, $60M deal — was agreed to on Sept. 11, 2015. That decision occurred two days earlier than the common season that 12 months.
No Bengals participant is at present tied to a contract that included upfront ensures between $146.5M (Joe Burrow‘s) and $31.1M (Orlando Brown Jr.‘s signing bonus). Chase might want to land nicely north of Brown’s quantity to signal and he has used this follow sample to successfully ramp up negotiations with the Bengals. With no different receiver dominoes to fall, Chase slow-playing issues — one thing the Bengals viewed him as doing earlier this offseason, because the Jefferson-Vikings negotiations completed up — is now not essential. Six wideouts are actually tied to offers value greater than $30M per 12 months, in comparison with one in 2023. At 24, Chase can pair his accomplishments (three Professional Bowls, one second-team All-Professional nod) with youth to push the Bengals to the brink.
Some among the many Bengals have bristled concerning the notion the franchise needs to adjust its guarantee structure to accommodate Chase, however contract construction has been an issue during these talks. Mike Brown had pointed to a 2025 agreement being more likely, when addressing the matter early in coaching camp, however referred to as Chase the staff’s second-highest precedence behind Burrow. With the membership not anticipated to present Higgins a long-term deal — largely due to Chase’s upcoming payday, be it this 12 months or subsequent — the runway is obvious for the previous No. 5 general decide to signal. All that continues to be is an old-school group providing a market-value extension.
Chase topping Jefferson’s quantity would make for 4 receivers setting a place AAV file this 12 months. Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Jefferson have executed so. St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith have been paid amongst 2021 first-round wideouts. It could look unusual — regardless of each staff within the rookie-scale contract period waiting until Year 5 to extend a Round 1 WR, earlier than this offseason modified the sport — if Chase was left on his rookie deal for a fourth season. That’s near occurring, because the LSU alum continues to angle for the highest WR payday.
