Current:Home > ContactWill Ja'Marr Chase play in Week 1? What to know about Bengals WR's status -DollarDynamic
Will Ja'Marr Chase play in Week 1? What to know about Bengals WR's status
View
Date:2025-04-17 09:16:52
Ja'Marr Chase is taking his standoff with the Cincinnati Bengals all the way to the wire.
The three-time Pro Bowl receiver's status for Sunday's regular-season opener against the New England Patriots is up in the air amid his still-unresolved push for a contract extension. Further complicating matters is the news that Chase was added to the injury report on Saturday with an illness, making him officially listed as questionable for the matchup. If Chase doesn't play, quarterback Joe Burrow will likely be without his top two targets, as Tee Higgins is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury.
Here's what to know about Chase and his status leading into Sunday:
Ja'Marr Chase news: Latest on contract talks and Week 1 outlook
Chase is officially active for Sunday's game, though there was still no official word an hour and a half before kickoff as to whether he had decided to play.
PLAY TO WIN $5K: USA TODAY's Pro Football Survivor Pool is free to enter. Sign up now!
Chase's playing status for Sunday still had not been determined as of Saturday night, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported. A contract extension was not expected to materialize prior to the game, Schefter added, despite Chase saying Friday that he believed the two sides were "pretty close" on terms.
As of Saturday, however, the Bengals were anticipating that Chase would play, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported.
Chase participated in his usual pre-game individual workout, catching tennis balls at close range.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Chase said it would be his decision whether to play Sunday. The receiver was a hold-in throughout training camp but took the field for practice from Wednesday to Friday amid what he called recent progress in talks.
Chase, who still has two years remaining on his rookie contract, is seeking a payout after an offseason in which the wide receiver market was reset, with six pass catchers inking deals averaging at least $30 million per season. Leading the way for the new top earners are the Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson (four years, $140 million) and Dallas Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb (four years, $136 million).
Chase pushed back against a report that he was looking to make one more cent than Jefferson, his former LSU teammate.
"If I want to beat Justin, I'm gonna beat the (expletive) out of Justin," Chase said. "Not by a penny, brother."
If Chase does play, he acknowledged he likely would be limited.
Burrow, however, had no concerns about his top target's ability to contribute despite his minimal practice work. "I know he's been doing what he needs to do to stay ready if he needs to be ready," Burrow said Wednesday. "I'm confident that if he does go out there on Sunday, then he'll be the Ja'Marr we all know."
Bengals' wide receiver depth chart behind Chase
If Chase sits out, the Bengals' passing game could have a drastically different look from its peak form.
Higgins, who had his own contractual tiff with the Bengals this offseason before signing his franchise tender, appears to be a long shot to play. If the team's top two targets are out, Cincinnati could lean heavily on second-year receivers Andrei Iosivas - the Princeton product and former heptathlete - and Charlie Jones as well as Trenton Irwin.
veryGood! (1)
Related
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Maryland man leads Virginia police on wild chase in stolen truck and ambulance before DC arrest
- UBS to pay $1.44 billion to settle 2007 financial crisis-era mortgage fraud case, last of such cases
- Those Taylor Swift figurines for sale online aren't from Funko, but fans will pay $250 anyway
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Search underway in Sequoia National Park for missing hiker on 1st solo backpacking trip
- Former Mississippi officers expected to plead guilty to state charges for racist assault
- Maryland man leads Virginia police on wild chase in stolen truck and ambulance before DC arrest
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Anthony Joshua silences boos with one-punch knockout of Robert Helenius
Ranking
- This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
- Amazon is rolling out a generative AI feature that summarizes product reviews
- Highest-paid QBs in the NFL: The salaries for the 42 highest paid NFL quarterbacks
- Get Head-to-Toe Hydration With a $59 Deal on $132 Worth of Josie Maran Products
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Community with high medical debt questions its hospitals' charity spending
- At least 20 Syrian soldiers killed in ISIS bus ambush, activists say
- Jury acquits 1 of 2 brothers charged in 2013 slaying in north central Indiana
Recommendation
What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
Cottage cheese has many health benefits. Should you eat it every day?
Taylor Lautner Reflects on the Scary Way Paparazzi Photos Impact His Self-Esteem
Iowa State’s Isaiah Lee, who is accused of betting against Cyclones in a 2021 game, leaves program
Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
Coast Guard searches for 4 missing divers off the Carolinas
Southern Charm: Everything to Know (So Far) About Season 9
As free press withers in El Salvador, pro-government social media influencers grow in power