Photo courtesy of the Bengals on X: https://x.com/Bengals/status/1827762981112844590/photo/3

by Chris Ball

Loveland, Ohio – Ja’Marr Chase has been at almost every Bengals practice this offseason. Whether it’s engaging with his teammates or cheering them on, his presence amidst all of the contract issues has shown his true dedication to this team.

After watching Justin Jefferson and Cee Dee Lamb cash in, Ja’Marr Chase still put on the pads and laced up his cleats to prepare for the New England Patriots in week one. And that tells you all that you need to know about his commitment level. He’s been a participant at both Monday and Tuesday practices this week and the national media has taken notice.

Even still, Bengals fans and beat writers alike paid close attention to both Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb. Those two players were seen early on as barometers for what a potential deal might look like for Ja’Marr Chase. Jefferson’s contract was finalized earlier this year. But it took until Monday for Lamb’s payday to come through. He and the Cowboys agreed to a four-year, $136 million deal. This makes Lamb the second-highest-paid receiver in the NFL behind Jefferson. It is yet another domino to fall in a summer dominated by talk of extensions for some of the best pass catchers in the league.

There is no need to panic until Ja’Marr Chase makes it clear that he won’t play for the Bengals until his demands are met. Justin Jefferson set the market for wide receiver contracts, and CeeDee Lamb cashed in as well. The dust from those major deals will soon settle and the cards will all be on the table between Chase and the Bengals. The team knows how much Chase wants, and Chase can see how his peers are being paid. This sort of certainty can bring a perspective to the discussions that might make a reasonable deal all the more probable.

And that certainty would be crucial for the Bengals and their fans. Having Chase’s contract in place prior to week one would give all parties the ability to solely focus on the product that is on the field and to work on getting back to the Super Bowl. That is a golden opportunity for a team that has struggled in the worst way to start prior seasons and the Bengals absolutely have to take advantage of it.

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Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

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