Steelers Opponents

Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase Ends Holdout without Contract

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has ended his holdout and reported to practice on Wednesday, despite not having a new deal.

Published

2 weeks ago

September 4, 2024

Alan Saunders

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 12: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) carries the ball during the game against the Minnesota Vikings and the Cincinnati Bengals on September 12, 2021, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire)

Cincinnati Bengals star wide reliever Ja’Marr Chase ended his hold out and reported to practice on Wednesday, as the Bengals began their preparations for their Week 1 game against the New England Patriots in earnest.

Ja’Marr Chase. In uniform. Heading out to practice. pic.twitter.com/SFDgHDrF7u

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) September 4, 2024

Chase is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract, and has another season of team control for 2025, as Cincinnati has picked up his fifth-year option, but he has been seeking a new contract after another round of big-money deals at the wide receiver position around the NFL.

Chase is set to earn $4.8 million this season, with more than 50 receivers set to make more than him this season. But the Bengals are dealing with a salary cap crunch that has also included fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins, who is playing out this season under the franchise tag at $21.8 million.

Cincinnati Bengals receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd in the huddle on Nov. 23, 2023. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

Chase finished fourth in the NFL in receiving yards as a rookie in 2021, and helped the Bengals get all the way to the Super Bowl. He missed five games but still recorded a 1,000-yard season in 2022, and then dealt with the absences of starting quarterback Joe Burrow for most of 2023 while still managing to put up 1,216 yards.

It’s unclear exactly what Chase is looking for from the Bengals. Justin Jefferson re-set the wide receiver market with a $35 million per year contract this offseason. CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyreek Hill and Brandon Aiyuk all cashed in with $30 million per year or better contracts.

“He’s a key player,” Bengals owner Mike Brown told reporters last month, via Cincinnati Bengals Talk. “Next to Joe (Burrow), he’s our next one, and he knows it. We know it. This may take a while.

The Bengals host the New England Patriots on Sunday before visiting the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2. The Steelers don’t play the Bengals until Dec. 1 in Cincinnati.