Ja'Marr Chase thinks Bengals 'misled him' regarding contract extension

Trouble appears to be brewing in Cincinnati. According to a detailed report from plugged-in ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase feels "misled" by the Bengals regarding his current contract situation. Chase felt like the organization promised him an extension that never materialized.

Chase was a non-participant throughout training camp and preseason play for the Bengals as he sought an extension, and he labeled himself as a game-time decision for the season opener against New England before ultimately opting to play. His decision to suit up doesn't mean that everything is peachy keen behind the scenes, though, as the LSU product is clearly annoyed.

Chase doesn't plan to negotiate with Cincinnati during the season

It doesn't sound like the situation will reach a resolution any time soon, either, as Chase doesn't plan to negotiate during the season -- something that Bengals also traditionally don't like doing. Cincinnati has only completed one in-season contract extension (Andrew Whitworth in 2015) over the past 20 years, per ESPN.

From Schefter:

"According to sources, the star wide receiver believes the Bengals misled him when they told him at the end of last season, and again during the offseason, he would get an extension that ultimately did not happen.

"... Chase and his representation believe the time to complete a deal was during the offseason, when the Bengals told him it would get done. The team first brought up this possibility at Chase's exit meeting after last season then again at the NFL scouting combine."

Schefter's report contains several other interesting tidbits, including the fact that Chase has taken out a $50 million insurance policy on himself for the 2024 season in order to protect himself against injury, and that Chase actually planned to skip the first two days of training camp entirely, but he accidentally showed up to camp on time. Seriously.

The Bengals made an offer to Chase on an extension, but the two sides were unable to agree on the structure of the deal, so pen was never put to paper. At this point, it doesn't sound like a deal will be reached until next offseason, at the earliest.

It's also fair to wonder if the way the situation has played out has left a bad taste in Chase's mouth and has caused him to think twice about wanting to remain in Cincinnati long-term. He's currently under team control through the 2025 season, but his future beyond that isn't set until he gets that extension that he's seeking.