This is exactly the news that Cincinnati Bengals fans -- and fantasy football owners who selected Ja'Marr Chase in the first round -- have been waiting to hear.
Ja'Marr Chase returns to practice for the Bengals
After being a non-participant throughout the entirety of training camp and preseason play, Chase returned to the practice field on Wednesday ahead of Cincinnati's regular season opener against the New England Patriots.
Ja’Marr Chase. In uniform. Heading out to practice. pic.twitter.com/SFDgHDrF7u
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) September 4, 2024
It remains to be seen if -- and how much -- Chase will play in the game against the Patriots, but his return to practice is obviously a step in the right direction. Had he continued to miss practice, his status for the opener would have been in serious jeopordy.
It also remains to be seen exactly what Chase's return means for his current contract situation. Chase is seeking an extension with the Bengals, but he still has two years remaining on his current contract, and the organization has been clearly hesitant to offer an extension at this point in time.
"It's not so likely that this is the good time to negotiate," Bengals president Mike Brown said of the situation at the end of July. "The offseason is a better time for that and we're going to try to keep focused on the football part. I'm not going to rule anything out, but I will tell you that the die has probably been cast."
Brown didn't completely rule out the possibility of an extension for Chase this year, but it certainly doesn't sound like a priority for the team at this time. If it should be is another question entirely, and many Bengals fans would answer that question with a resounding "yes."
Does Chase's return to the practice field mean that he plans to play out the 2024 season on his current contract? We'll find out soon enough. For what it's worth, Bengals legend Chad Johnson recently predicted that Chase wouldn't touch the field until he gets a deal done.
"He's not touching the field," Johnson said. "Certain players, they can separate their love for the game and business. If it was me, I'd have been out there practicing, deal or no deal, I don't care. But on the business side of things, Ja'Marr, his team, they understand now, and this is the only way to get deals done."
Obviously this is a situation that will need to continue to be monitored, but it certainly looks like things are trending towards Chase being back out on the field and (hopefully) available for the start of the regular season.