Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is sending a message to the team ahead of what is likely to be a significant offseason for him.
Chase spoke to ESPN on Friday at the Pro Bowl Games and issued something of a warning to the Bengals. The wide receiver said he is looking for what’s “fair” in contract talks, and his idea of fairness might be pretty costly.
“I just hope I get what’s fair at the end of the day and what my worth is at the end of the day. Hopefully I don’t put too much pressure on anybody, but I just want it to be fair, that’s all.
“Fair is what I deserve. I can’t really say everything I want to say, but it’s what I deserve, what I worked for, how hard I worked for (it). It’s a written story already.”
“I hope I get what’s fair. … Fair is – What I deserve. I can’t really say everything I want to say.”
Ja’Marr Chase spoke with ESPN at the Pro Bowl, about what he’s looking for in contract negotiations: pic.twitter.com/KHuD9ItZcZ
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) January 31, 2025
Chase and the Bengals engaged in a contract standoff at the beginning of the season, and there were reports that he did not take it well when he did not get it. He is clearly willing to go back to the table, but it’s clear the Bengals will not be getting a discount. That likely means that Chase will be expecting something close to the $35 million annually that Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson received, if not more.
If anything, Chase’s value has increased from where it was in September after he led the NFL with 127 catches for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024.
Chase will get a raise no matter what in 2025, as his fifth-year option is worth $21.816 million. He is not signed beyond next season, though, and both Chase and the Bengals will want to sort that out this offseason. The Bengals also have to deal with Tee Higgins hitting free agency, plus their quarterback’s strong desire that both Higgins and Chase are taken care of. That will be a very tough situation to maneuver for Cincinnati.
