The Cincinnati Bengals have dragged their feet on extending star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, and it could cost them big-time.
Chase, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, has made clear that he is seeking a long-term contract with the Bengals, going so far as to stage a holdout last offseason. Locking up the 25-year-old for the foreseeable future would appear to be Cincinnati's top priority after the organization franchise-tagged Tee Higgins and granted Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade.
However, the longer the Bengals wait on Chase, the more it's going to cost them.
On Sunday, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett became the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history after securing a historic four-year deal averaging $40 million a year.
One day later, Chase shared a post on his Instagram account that seemed to be in response to Garrett's monster deal.
Chase posted a series of photos on Monday, the last of which was a picture of a calculator that had the following six-word message: "Know your worth then add tax."
Duke Tobin
For what it's worth, Tobin also said the Bengals would work toward a long-term agreement with Higgins and Hendrickson—a month later, the former has received the franchise tag while the latter has one foot out the door.
Expect contract tensions between Chase and the Bengals to only heighten from here.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ja’Marr Chase Sends Not-So-Subtle Message to Bengals in Instagram Post.
