Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase hasn’t been shy about the idea he might wait for other dominoes to fall before figuring out his contract with the team.
While Chase is eligible for an extension for the first time this summer, he just stressed in an interview with Bleacher Report’s Scott Polacek that a couple of bigger names need to come first.
One of those, out of friendship more than anything else, is even fellow teammate Tee Higgins.
“Who knows how that will unfold at the end of the day,” Chase said. “We have to worry about Tee this year too, make sure bro gets his money. And on the other hand, I gotta wait for other receivers like CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson to get paid, too.”
Higgins is likely headed for a franchise tag from the Bengals if the two parties can’t work out a long-term extension before free agency opens this spring.
As for Chase, he’s not wrong to follow what is likely agent-directed advice to wait on other market-resetting wide receiver contracts to go first. If he goes last, he makes more than anyone and given his performance so far as a pro, rightfully so.
The Bengals surely know this is the lay of the land too, so Chase isn’t really losing any ground by saying this sort of thing in public.
