Joe Burrow has signified that he is in for the long haul with the Cincinnati Bengals. All Zac Taylor needs is for Ja'Marr Chase to do the same such that their core sticks together while they all enter their prime. The elite wide receiver's contract is not up until 2026 but it looks like there are no plans from the front office yet. Will Duke Tobin be able to secure his top weapon's long-term commitment after their NFL Preseason run?
Ja'Marr Chase is currently conducting a hold-in amid the Bengals NFL Preseason games. The wide receiver is still present in practices and does fairly decently. However, it seems evident that he is not playing at the top of his game despite Joe Burrow giving him nice passes throughout camp. Adam Schefter of ESPN even reported that Joe Burrow's running mate could be looking for a long-term deal as soon as possible. The known insider also provided how the Duke Tobin-led front office has been handling the situation.
“There hasn't been a whole lot of conversation between the two sides,” was the most that Schefter could say.
Notably, a lot of wide receivers are getting big deals out of the 2024 offseason. Justin Jefferson, and Davante Adams among others have proven to their franchises that they are worthy of a new deal. Chase has already gone with Burrow and Zac Taylor to a Super Bowl. Hopefully, he gets the much-needed deal that he wants. If all goes well, he could be the highest-paid wide receiver of all time.
What has Ja'Marr Chase been up to amid his Bengals hold-in?
![Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) walks onto the field at Cincinnati Bengals training camp on the Kettering Health Practice Fields in Cincinnati on Sunday, July 28, 2024.](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Cincinnati-Bengals-wide-receiver-JaMarr-Chase-1-walks-onto.jpg)
A lot of players tend to just leave their teams hanging when they need a new deal. Chase is not like the others. This elite wideout has still been giving back to the Bengals despite not being on full display. He is helping out other young guns like Andrei Iosivas, Jermaine Burton, and Charlie Jones among others. Troy Walters was very pleased with how the young wideout has taken a leadership role despite being far from the squad.
“Even though he is not practicing, he's been engaged. He's asking questions, he's helping the young guys. He's been great,” he declared.
The Bengals front office led by Duke Tobin needs to fix this issue before the season starts. If they continue to be stingy and do not give Chase what he deserves, this situation can turn ugly in the blink of an eye.