As the Ja’Marr Chase “hold-in” at Cincinnati Bengals training camp continues, it’s fair to wonder if an extension might just happen soon.
Projections have always pinned an extension as happening in 2025 with Chase still currently sitting on two years left on his rookie deal. The star wideout has very much not been in a hurry to get a deal done prior to this training camp while he waited for big names like Justin Jefferson to reset the market.
Jefferson has, though, and Chase has started camp as a “hold-in” around the time team president Mike Brown said the team would “bend over backwards” to make an extension eventually happen.
So why not now?
That’s the line of thinking put forth by The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov recently:
“He’s not going to step foot on the field until he gets that deal, he wants that security…What difference does it make doing it now or doing it later if he’s your guy, do it now. And I’m telling you, they are working on it…they’re working on it right now, and I do anticipate a deal probably getting done. I’m not saying for sure, but I would lean toward it getting done.”
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin has confirmed talks have occurred, too. Even if they hadn’t, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Chase take it easy early in camp to avoid an injury that could derail what is technically a contract-year season coming up.
Still, Meirov’s on the money in that all of a sudden, it’s getting safer to think a deal happens this summer.
Discussing the situation in Cincinnati with WR Ja'Marr Chase, who has not been practicing for a very specific reason.
Wednesday edition of NFL Spotlight:
– Apple: https://t.co/5LzD8x2FQS
– Spotify: https://t.co/Wg2BpH8Jkw pic.twitter.com/PU1jGZqIQo— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 31, 2024
