NFL analysts predict Ja'Marr Chase's possible extension with Bengals as CeeDee Lamb accepts $136,000,000 deal
Ja'Marr Chase has just seen the Dallas Cowboys extend fellow wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for four years and $136 million. Now the question is, what kind of contract will convince him to remain a Cincinnati Bengal beyond 2025?
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport shared his thoughts on the situation on Monday's episode of "The Insiders":
"It is a challenge, a big-time challenge – mostly because it's early, and the expenditure for the Bengals would be massive. But it is still possible, and the landscape of the receiver deals got much more clearly defined with this CeeDee Lamb deal," Rapoport said.
And for the one-time AFC champion, there is a clear goal:
"You can argue that Justin Jefferson's $35 million per year was an anomaly... Ja'Marr Chase, of course, is gonna want to be at or one cent above his good friend [and former LSU teammate] so the landscape is there to do a deal," he added.
Similarly, analyst Ari Meirov remarked on The 33rd Team's "NFL Spotlight" podcast:
"They are still talking on an extension. It's still ongoing. The hope from Ja'Marr's side, his people, is that they're able to reach a long-term deal," Meirov said.
Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Kelsey Conway was clear about what would happen if de facto General Manager Duke Tobin did not extend Ja' Marr Chase now:
"If Chase plays the upcoming season without a deal, it will only make things more expensive for the Bengals... When the Bengals decided not to give Higgins a long-term deal, it was an indication the team is all in on paying Chase," Conway said.
"It's not a matter of if the Bengals want to pay Chase. They’ve made their stance clear... For Cincinnati’s front office, it’s a matter of if they’ll cough up the money now ahead of dragging it into next year which will just make things more complicated."
Ja'Marr Chase hopes to remain a Bengal in the long term
The past few months have certainly been dramatic for Chase, as he "held in" during training camp in the hopes of getting that monstrous extension. But on Sunday and Monday, a major development happened: he practiced.
That signified optimism regarding a new contract, as he hinted in his first media availability since May:
"My future [is] bright in Cincinnati. I know I'm gonna be there the majority of my career, if not forever," Chase said.
He also credited returning veteran safety Vonn Bell will helping him internalize the business side of the sport:
"Vonn Bell was the first person that really sat there and gave me vet game on contracts, on football, on organizations. [He] gave me a big leap in the game, and I couldn't say nothing but thank you," Chase added.
The Bengals' first game of the season is at home against the New England Patriots on Sept. 8.