Projecting Ja'Marr Chase's Bengals Contract After Brandon Aiyuk's $120M 49ers Deal

Now that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been extended after a summer-long hold-in, it could be time for the Cincinnati Bengals to make a contract decision regarding wideout Ja'Marr Chase.

Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million deal with the 49ers, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday.

He will earn an average of $30 million per season, giving him the sixth-highest annual value of any NFL wide receiver.

Rapoport previously reported that Chase is seeking an extension that would tie him with Justin Jefferson as the NFL's highest-paid receiver.

That will challenge the Bengals to match the four-year, $140 million extension with $110 million guaranteed Jefferson received from the Minnesota Vikings in June.

Chase is currently heading into the fourth year of his rookie contract with a base salary of just over $1 million for the 2024 season.

The Bengals currently hold a $21.82 million club option on Chase's contract for the 2025 season.

Rapoport said Tuesday that extension talks are ongoing between the Bengals and Chase.

"My understanding is the two sides are still discussing a potential 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 in fact the goal by Ja'Marr Chase," Rapoport said.

Matching Jefferson's deal has been Chase's stated goal since the beginning of the 2023 season. The Bengals wideout said last September he hoped Jefferson "sets the market for me" (h/t WLWT's Charlie Clifford.)

Exceeding Jefferson's $35 million average annual salary would make Chase the new highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Chase, who turned 24 in March, is coming off of three straight Pro Bowl seasons during which he recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards. He was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year following his 1,455-yard campaign in 2021.

After sitting out training camp as part of his bid for an extension, Chase returned to practice following cuts to the 53-man roster earlier this week, only to resume his hold-in on Wednesday and Thursday.

Aiyuk went through a similar saga with the 49ers, whom he did not join for training camp or practice prior to his extension. His hold-in, which resulted in months of trade rumors, eventually led to an extension.

That might provide Chase with motivation to continue his hold-in until he secures his own contract from the Bengals, which could present a problem for Cincinnati's hopes of having him back on the field for Week 1. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Thursday he "wasn't going to make any predictions" (h/t NBC Sports' Myles Simmons) about whether Chase would be available on Sept. 8 to face the New England Patriots.