Ja'Marr Chase Returns to Bengals Practice Before Patriots Game amid Contract Rumors

Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Ja'Marr Chase has yet to receive the contract extension he's been eyeing all summer, but it appears that he's ready to move forward.

ESPN's Ben Baby reported that Chase is in attendance at Wednesday's practice and is in uniform, indicating that he will participate.

Chase sat out Monday's practice amid his continued holdout. Head coach Zac Taylor said the team considers Chase to be "day to day" ahead of Sunday's season opener against the New England Patriots. It's not clear how much action the star receiver will see on the field considering the number of practice reps he's missed this summer.

The three-time Pro Bowler hopes to become the latest receiver to land a massive deal in a booming market. Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson set the mark this offseason with an average of $35 million per year, and players like Dallas Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb and San Francisco 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk were among those to receive huge paydays.

However, most of those players were entering the final year of their contracts before receiving their extensions, while Chase still has two years remaining on his rookie deal. The Bengals didn't show much urgency in trying to get a deal done this year because they have the luxury of waiting until next offseason.

It now looks like Chase has accepted the likelihood that he will have to play the 2024 season on his current deal—at least to start. His presence will help boost Cincinnati's hopes of making it through the competitive AFC to earn a playoff spot.