Sad moment as Ja’Marr chase doubt on renewing contract….read more

The Bengals should pay Chase as soon as possible.

CINCINNATI — Spotrac released contract projections for some of the NFL’s top wide receivers and projected Ja’Marr Chase to land a four-year, $120 million extension.

Cincinnati can offer it to him this offseason.

“Injuries to himself & to QB Joe Burrow over the past two seasons have limited Chase’s ability to reach his max ceiling,” The article stated. “Cincinnati likely pays a king’s ransom to see that happen within their offense soon. The 24-year-old has 2 years, $26.6M left on his rookie deal through 2025, so there’s not an immediate rush to get something done here, but it’s certainly worth discussing. Spotrac projects a $70M guarantee over the next 3 seasons, including back-to-back $20M bonuses to keep cap hits at bay while this contending team continues to get more and more expensive across the board.

It would be malpractice for Cincinnati not to sign Chase to an extension as soon as possible. The game is pretty simple with elite, proven NFL players at premium positions: Pay them as early as humanly possible.

The Bengals would’ve had a bargain deal for Jessie Bates III or Tee Higgins if they had extended them as soon in that initial window. The price will just keep going up for talent like this.