The money for star wide receivers is flying around this offseason. Many of the top wide receivers have been rewarded with a huge payday, but not Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
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Chase is still looking to become one of the top-paid pass catchers in the league, and those talsk have intensified after Cowboys superstar wide receiver CeeDee Lamb received his hefty payday earlier this week.
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Regardless, the Bengals and head coach Zac Taylor said that wouldn’t affect Chase and that they believe he’ll be ready to go by Week 1. However, a day after Taylor said Chase would be a full participant in practice this week, he was spotted at the facility wearing street clothes.
ESPN’s Ben Baby shared a photo of the All-Pro wide receiver via Twitter/X.
Taylor said on Tuesday that he was happy to see Chase with the team after missing all of training camp.
“I think it gives you the visual of what it’s going to look and feel like for us,” Taylor said. “It’s been good to get him back in the mix the last couple of days.”
In July, Bengals owner Mike Brown said the team would “bend over backward” to sign Chase to an extension, but Brown also cautioned that it might take a while to work out a deal.
Chase participated in the team’s two light practices this week and was reported to be involved moving forward as the team prepares for their Week 1 matchup against the New England Patriots on Sept. 8.
Through Chase’s three NFL seasons, he has established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the league. The Bengals selected Chase in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft with the No. 5 overall pick to pair him with his former college quarterback Joe Burrow.
The duo was a success immediately. In their first year together, they reached the Super Bowl but fell short to the Los Angeles Rams in dramatic fashion, 23-20. However, the team hasn’t been back since — but the duo is still young and talented enough to reach that pinnacle and win it all.
The three-time Pro Bowler has two years remaining on his rookie deal, including a fifth-year option that is worth $21.8 million. Since entering the league, Chase is seventh in total receiving yards during that span with 3,717 yards.
In his three-year career, the wide receiver has tallied 268 receptions for 3,717 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns, averaging 13.9 yards per reception.
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