Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson will forever be linked from their days in one of the best pass catching rooms ever at LSU. Now, both are balling out in the NFL as two of the top players in the league.
Jefferson was rewarded for his output over his first few seasons by becoming the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history earlier this offseason. Chase is still waiting for his new deal, and is stuck in a holdout as a result. On Tuesday, Jefferson expressed his desire for his former teammate to get the money he deserves while also wanting to see him on the field on the Up and Adams Show.
“I hope that he gets the contract that he’s looking for, but I also hope that he plays it smart and not let it get in the way of, you know, his greatness and being on that field,” Jefferson said.
As of Tuesday night, Chase’s status for the Bengals’ season opener against the Patriots on Sunday is still unclear.
Where might Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase fit in the wide receiver market?
It seems like the wide receiver market is constantly being reset in the NFL, and this offseason is no different. Big names like Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb have reset the wide receiver market, and now Chase wants to be in that salary range as well. But where might Chase land when the dispute is settled?
Jefferson is currently the highest paid wideout in the league at $35 million per year, and Lamb is right behind him at $34 million annually. Is Chase better than those guys? Probably not, but that’s often where these talks stall.
Chase likely wants to reset the market, or at the very least be paid the same as his former LSU teammate. The Bengals are likely pointing at the numbers, and Chase’s availability over the past few seasons, and saying that maybe he should fall in below Lamb and closer to the A.J. Brown range ($32 million per year).
When healthy, Chase is still an explosive threat and a physical beast on the outside. He’s one of the best deep ball threats in the league and is capable of outrunning defensive backs or going up and outmuscling them for 50-50 balls. However, his game isn’t as well-rounded as that of Jefferson or Lamb.
Despite that, Chase should eventually end up getting what he wants. That is usually how these negotiations end, and Chase has all the leverage with the season kicking off soon. The Bengals know that they need him on the field to fulfill their lofty goals, and getting this dispute settles as soon as possible is in the best interest of the franchise.
