As Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase heads into his fourth NFL season he knows that he’s outplayed his rookie contract. But he hasn’t been practicing much recently and actually skipped a training camp today.
Speaking to reporters after practice today, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said that Chase is “day-to-day” but had nothing to say beyond that, not even a listing of the injury that Chase may be dealing with.
Zac Taylor post practice statement on Ja’Marr Chase, Jake Browning, BJ Hill and Brad Robbins. pic.twitter.com/Vk194OdXJd
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) August 13, 2024
“Quick update. Ja’Marr: Day to day. We’ll take it one day at a time. Don’t have any comment beyond that…” Taylor said. As you might expect, this brief summary didn’t assuage Bengals fans’ concerns in the slightest. “wow, he said nothing,” one user replied to Joe Danneman’s post.
“Exactly why I value Higgins over Chase long term,” another remarked. Many more fans believe that Higgins is playing hardball with the Bengals in pursuit of a lucrative contract extension.
In just three short years he has 268 receptions for 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was a key part of the Bengals’ Super Bowl run in 2021 and has made three straight Pro Bowls.
Suffice it to say, Chase knows that the Bengals need him badly. But do they need him badly enough to give him a new contract while they still have him on his rookie deal for two more years? We’ll find out soon enough.
