With three years of NFL action under his belt, wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is eligible for a contract extension, and the Cincinnati Bengals are widely expected to give it to him.
The extension could come either this offseason or next, as Chase still has a couple of years remaining on his current contract. When it does come. though, it's expected to be massive.
Projected numbers
According to a recent projection from Spotrac, Chase is expected to get an extension in the range of $120 million over four years with $46 million guaranteed at signing and $70 million partially guaranteed. That's an average annual value of $30 million.
Here's the explanation from Spotrac:
"Injuries to himself & to QB Joe Burrow over the past two seasons have limited Chase’s ability to reach his max ceiling. 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."
Chase has previously expressed a desire to come to a long-term agreement with the Bengals.
"Lord knows, I want to do that," he said earlier this year. "I mean, but we'll see what happens."
Considering how productive Chase has been over his first three seasons in the league, that desire is understandably mutual. Chase eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first three seasons and tallied 29 total touchdowns.
He was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021, and he has already made the Pro Bowl three times. The dude has clearly established himself as one of the absolute best young receivers in the entire NFL, and in the near future he's going to be paid like it.