The Cincinnati Bengals kick off their 2024 campaign on Sunday, slated to face the New England Patriots at home on Sept. 8. With the offseason work wrapping up, one major questions hangs over the Bengals ahead of their season opener: Will Ja'Marr Chase play?
Chase has been holding out from the Bengals' offseason program as he angles for a new contract from the organization. After re-joining practice earlier last week, coach Zac Taylor iterated that he expected Chase to practice for the rest of the offseason, though the 24-year-old has sat out of practice since.
With less than a week until game day, Taylor acknowledged Chase's contract situation but didn't give an indication as to whether or not the star wide receiver would be on the field come Week 1.
"We'll just take it day by day," said Taylor of Chase's availability, speaking to reporters Monday (via Adam Schefter of ESPN).
Reports emerged over the weekend which said that Chase was seeking a contract worth $0.01 more than the four-year, $140 million contract Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson signed this offseason.
Jefferson is collecting an average annual salary of $35 million per year, slightly ahead of Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb's $34 million. Those two became the highest earners at the position this offseason, and it seems Chase is eager to add himself to those ranks; he's entering the fourth season of his five-year rookie deal.
Fans will certainly be hoping to see Chase take the field with the rest of the Cincinnati squad on Sunday, but Taylor made clear that it's a fluid situation and wasn't willing to guarantee Chase's availability either way.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Zac Taylor Mum on Ja’Marr Chase’s Week 1 Status for Bengals’ Opener vs. Patriots .
