Bengals are officially running out of time with Ja’Marr Chase after Brandon Aiyuk contract

The Cincinnati Bengals and Ja'Marr Chase have not agreed on a contract extension yet despite that clearly being what Chase wants. The star wide receiver has not been practicing or playing throughout preseason and the latest update from Adam Schefter wasn't ideal.

Schefter had said that the contract talks were in slow motion and that there was uncertainty in the situation. Well, now that the San Francisco 49ers have given Brandon Aiyuk the long-term extension he was searching for, time is ticking for the Bengals to get a deal done with Chase.

Sure, the Bengals have Chase under contract for two more years and then could tag him but are they willing to call Chase's bluff? Players don't sit out very often so it feels as though Chase would indeed come back and play on his $1 million salary but is this a player the team wants to gamble on? Chase is incredibly important to this offense and not having him out there would be devastating.

Will the Bengals and Ja'Marr Chase get a deal done before the season begins?

Chase has told the Bengals exactly what he wants with his new deal. He wants one penny more than the $140 million deal that Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings received in June. The numbers are there, now it's time to see if the Bengals are willing to match it.

Should Chase decide not to suit up and play Week 1 against the New England Patriots, the Bengals have depth at the wide receiver spot. Tee Higgins is still on the roster, Andrei Iosivas was named a starter, and rookie Jermaine Burton could potentially slide into a starting role as well.

Of course, Bengals fans want this contract drama to be over with and see Chase on the field. Will he continue to sit out and not practice or play? Or will the Bengals fans have to experience what Kansas City Chiefs fans went through in Week 1 last year when Chris Jones sat out until he got a new deal?

Hopefully, the two sides can agree on a deal that Chase is happy with because this offense is better when Chase is catching passes.