Sources: Chase will not discuss deal throughout season

Ja’Marr Chase has no plans to barter a long-term deal this season with the Cincinnati Bengals, league sources instructed ESPN.

Talks between Chase and the Bengals are off for now, and certain for the remainder of the season except the group does one thing to vary the present scenario.

In line with sources, the star vast receiver believes the Bengals misled him once they instructed him on the finish of final season and once more in the course of the offseason that he would get an extension that finally didn’t occur.

To strengthen his phrase and strengthen his place, Chase additionally has taken out a $50 million insurance coverage coverage on himself for this season to safeguard in opposition to damage and any potential misplaced earnings. As one supply mentioned about Chase, with the insurance coverage coverage in place, “He is good.”

The Bengals all the time might attempt to jumpstart negotiations with Chase. However Cincinnati has an extended historical past of not negotiating offers in the course of the season, and it’s thought of unlikely that can change, particularly contemplating that Chase is claimed to don’t have any intention of constant contract talks and with the group targeted on Sunday’s sport in opposition to the defending Tremendous Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

The final time the Bengals prolonged one among their core gamers in the course of the common season was in 2015, when offensive sort out Andrew Whitworth signed a one-year extension. It was the one in-season contract extension the Bengals have executed up to now 20 years, based on ESPN Analysis.

Chase and his illustration imagine the time to finish a deal was in the course of the offseason, when the Bengals instructed him it could get executed. The group first introduced up this chance at Chase’s exit assembly after final season, then once more on the NFL scouting mix.

Chase then watched different gamers in his 2021 draft class — together with fellow receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith — land profitable long-term offers earlier this 12 months.

The Jacksonville Jaguars additionally paid the No. 1 choose total choose from the 2021 draft, Trevor Lawrence, a deal that on the time made him one of many highest-paid gamers in NFL historical past.

Chase watched the numbers on his fellow draft classmates skyrocket whereas ready for a deal of his personal that didn’t come by way of. The three-time Professional Bowler initially deliberate to not report back to coaching camp for the primary two days, based on league sources, and deliberate to reach on the third day in time to gather his $4 million reporting bonus.

However as a result of a miscommunication and misunderstanding, Chase reported to camp on time and made it appear as if talks have been in a greater spot than they really have been.

Chase and the Bengals spent a lot of the summer time attempting to work out a long-term deal hat didn’t get resolved earlier than the Bengals common season kicked off final Sunday with a loss to New England.

A brand new deal was anticipated to make Chase the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, beating the $35 million common annual worth that his former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson acquired from the Vikings earlier this 12 months, based on sources. The problem was the construction of the deal and the payout of the cash, which was to not Chase’s liking.

Sources instructed ESPN that at one level, Chase’s camp threatened to overlook the primary two video games of the season, together with Sunday’s showdown in opposition to Kansas Metropolis, if a deal wasn’t reached. Nevertheless, Chase finally stepped in and made it clear he would play with or and not using a new contract, and he now’s absolutely targeted on the 2024 season.

Chase appeared targeted on the Chiefs earlier this week when he emphasized that Cincinnati needs to be sharp and absolutely ready for Kansas Metropolis’s defensive schemes, whereas including that the Bengals “are the group to beat within the AFC.”

“Everyone is aware of that, bro,” Chase mentioned Thursday. “It isn’t ‘if.’ We’re the group to beat within the AFC. And we all know it. And we gotta play prefer it, too.”