Ja’Marr Chase is taking his standoff with the Cincinnati Bengals all the way to the wire.
The three-time Pro Bowl receiver’s status for Sunday’s regular-season opener against the New England Patriots is up in the air amid his still-unresolved push for a contract extension. Further complicating matters is the news that Chase was added to the injury report on Saturday with an illness, making him officially listed as questionable for the matchup. If Chase doesn’t play, quarterback Joe Burrow will likely be without his top two targets, as Tee Higgins is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury.
Here’s what to know about Chase and his status leading into Sunday:
Ja’Marr Chase news: Latest on contract talks and Week 1 outlook
Chase is officially active for Sunday’s game, though there was still no official word an hour and a half before kickoff as to whether he had decided to play.
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Chase’s playing status for Sunday still had not been determined as of Saturday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. A contract extension was not expected to materialize prior to the game, Schefter added, despite Chase saying Friday that he believed the two sides were ‘pretty close’ on terms.
As of Saturday, however, the Bengals were anticipating that Chase would play, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported.
Chase participated in his usual pre-game individual workout, catching tennis balls at close range.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Chase said it would be his decision whether to play Sunday. The receiver was a hold-in throughout training camp but took the field for practice from Wednesday to Friday amid what he called recent progress in talks.
Chase, who still has two years remaining on his rookie contract, is seeking a payout after an offseason in which the wide receiver market was reset, with six pass catchers inking deals averaging at least $30 million per season. Leading the way for the new top earners are the Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson (four years, $140 million) and Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb (four years, $136 million).
Chase pushed back against a report that he was looking to make one more cent than Jefferson, his former LSU teammate.
‘If I want to beat Justin, I’m gonna beat the (expletive) out of Justin,’ Chase said. ‘Not by a penny, brother.’
If Chase does play, he acknowledged he likely would be limited.
Burrow, however, had no concerns about his top target’s ability to contribute despite his minimal practice work. ‘I know he’s been doing what he needs to do to stay ready if he needs to be ready,’ Burrow said Wednesday. ‘I’m confident that if he does go out there on Sunday, then he’ll be the Ja’Marr we all know.’
Bengals’ wide receiver depth chart behind Chase
If Chase sits out, the Bengals’ passing game could have a drastically different look from its peak form.
Higgins, who had his own contractual tiff with the Bengals this offseason before signing his franchise tender, appears to be a long shot to play. If the team’s top two targets are out, Cincinnati could lean heavily on second-year receivers Andrei Iosivas – the Princeton product and former heptathlete – and Charlie Jones as well as Trenton Irwin.
