NFL insider suggests Ja’Marr Chase is to blame for current contract situation

The past few months have been crammed full of contract drama around the league. Unfortunately, the Cincinnati Bengals and a pair of wide receivers have been center stage for a good chunk of it.

Whether it's Tee Higgins' franchise tag situation or the continued stalemate between Ja'Marr Chase and the organization, the Bengals have had their fair share of decisions to work their way through. And, with Week 1 here and the Bengals getting ready to roll for the 2024 season, many fans are wondering what's taking so long.

Some fans might blame the organization for this holdup. After all, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk and several other top wideouts have all secured new contracts this offseason. So, the Bengals are clearly doing something wrong, here, right?

One of the NFL's best and most informed insiders had a different thought on the dispute at hand. In fact, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer went so far as to blame Chase and his camp rather than the Bengals, in reference to why this has been so drawn out.

"Earlier in the summer, I sensed some frustration from Cincinnati—the team wanted to negotiate, and get something done with Chase, but his camp was moving slowly, if at all, on playing their part in it," Breer wrote.

So, while fans might be blaming the Bengals brass for what's transpired, it appears as though Chase and his inner circle were the ones dragging their feet early on during the contract dispute. But, why? Why would Chase and his agent refuse to try and make progress on a new deal?

There are now zero excuses for Ja'Marr Chase and the Bengals to get a deal done

It makes sense that Chase would have waited to see what type of money guys like Jefferson and Lamb were going to get, since those two were likely going to get top dollar.

Even Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers got a new deal done, though, after it might have appeared unlikely he was sticking around the team and would instead be traded. So, with even the likes of Aiyuk getting his new contract, both the Bengals and Chase have run out of excuses. The time to get a contract done is now.

Jefferson, Lamb and Aiyuk all received new deals. The top of the market has been set. And, unless Chase is planning on trying to reset the market once again and go above and beyond what Jefferson secured, there is really no reason why the two sides shouldn't be able to come to an agreement at this stage.

Breer also pointed out, in his column, that the Bengals had seemingly chose to ride with Chase as opposed to Higgins, in terms of a long-term perspective. So, if the Bengals have already committed to Chase on a long-term basis, albeit in a figurative manner, then Chase's camp has to come to grips with reality.

The Bengals want him around for the long haul. The market is what it is, and Chase should be able to get a deal similar to Jefferson.

So, let's see this thing come to an end, shall we?