Ja'Marr Chase has not participated in any Cincinnati Bengals training camp activity. He likely would not have played much in the preseason and could spend a couple of days reconnecting with buddy and quarterback Joe Burrow should his contract issues get resolved.
If they do not get resolved, will he sit out? Could the Bengals take the aggressive approach of trading him? And would they trade him to a division foe that faces them twice each year and already owns them in head-to-head competition since Joe Burrow became a Bengal, maybe not, but we should never say never.
The Browns proved they would be aggressive in getting a young wide receiver when they went all-in to try and snag Brandon Aiyuk from San Francisco. Aiyuk reportedly turned down the deal to send Amari Cooper and draft picks (second and fifth-round selections) to the 49ers.
It is an interesting thought, and Amari Cooper did not seem to mind the possibility of a change of scenery when news broke that he was on the trade block weeks ago.
Update on #Bengals WR JaMarr Chase contract negotiations
— Around The Jungle (@aroundthejungle) August 20, 2024
“We’ve already heard president Mike Brown say he’d like to wait to get this deal done. From my understanding there hasn’t been a whole lot of progress to get a deal done.” pic.twitter.com/NKA6Lrn49a
Chase has two years left on his contract so his hold-in is somewhat curious. The Bengals have been inclined to wait to negotiate an extension. The Browns proved that they were willing to pay big money to get Aiyuk so it is not far-fetched that they would offer a massive contract to get and keep a star like Chase on the roster for years to come.
The Browns wide receiving corps, except for the consistency of Amari Cooper in the past two seasons, has been average in the years since Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. were at their best for the Browns. There has not been a true 1-2 duo for opposing defenses to fear. Elijah Moore enters his second season with the team, and Jerry Jeudy was added in the offseason. Putting Chase on top of the depth chart, assuming a healthy Deshaun Watson throws to him for 17 games, would be an intriguing turn of events for the entire wide receiving room.
