NFL Rumors: Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals Unlikely to Land New Contract Before Patriots Game

Ja'Marr Chase will take the field for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots, but he will reportedly do so without the new contract he wanted.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Cincinnati Bengals are not expected to agree to an extension with the wide receiver ahead of the game, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.

While Schefter noted "it remains unclear if Chase will play," NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the receiver is active.

The official designation came after NFL Network's Bridget Condon reported Chase warmed up, adding "there's a good chance he will be active," adding he is expected to be limited to 20-30 plays.

From the team's perspective, there likely wasn't too much urgency at the start of the offseason when it came to the No. 1 wide receiver considering he is signed through the 2025 campaign.

However, he decided to hold-in during training camp and missed many of the team's practices as the wide receiver market drastically shifted around him this offseason. As Schefter highlighted, Justin Jefferson reset the market as one of a number of notable contracts for pass-catchers ahead of the 2024 campaign:

It seems like Chase might want to beat his former college teammate's deal.

"If I want to beat Justin, I want to beat the s--t out of Justin," he told reporters Friday. "Not by a penny, brother."

That was in response to a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport last month suggesting he believed Chase wanted to beat Jefferson's deal "by one cent."

While Chase still has two years left on his deal, he is set to make $1.1 million in base salary in 2024 and $21.8 million in 2025. That is well below the average annual salary of some of the receiver contracts that were handed out this offseason, and the LSU product is one of the best pass-catchers in the league.

But it should be noted the three-time Pro Bowler also said Friday he would be willing to take the field against the Patriots without a new contract (1:30 mark):

Cincinnati may need him even more than usual considering fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins is dealing with a hamstring injury.

The Bengals have Super Bowl aspirations with quarterback Joe Burrow leading the way, but the Chase situation has hovered over the team for much of the offseason and is still in place on the day of the season opener.

How the wide receiver responds on the field could determine the AFC North club's ultimate ceiling.