Cincinnati Bengals have secured their Ace card in the game: receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Announced on Wednesday, the team confirmed exercising their fifth-year option on Chase.
Bengals exercise Ja'Marr Chase's fifth-year option. https://t.co/Px82TJZERS
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 24, 2024
This move, will keep him under contract up to and including the 2025 season. Ja’Marr Chase is set to earn an estimated total of $21.8 million, guaranteed in 2025, as part of his rookie contract.
Picked fifth overall in the 2021 draft, Chase has proven the team’s investment right by playing at an elite level since his league debut.
Reunited with his college quarterback, Joe Burrow, Chase has showcased an all-round dynamism on the field, helping the Bengals to reach Super Bowl LVI.
While sidelined by an injury during five games in the 2022 season, he continued doing what he does best: catching passes.
He nabbed 87 out of 1,046 yards with a total of nine touchdowns credited to his name that year.
Chase secured a personal record with 100 astounding receptions. Going for 1,216 yards with seven touchdowns.
Adding to his accolades, Chase has made the Pro Bowl selection in each of his initial three seasons.
While he is eligible for a contract extension, the recent move by the Bengals quells immediate anxieties about the future.
So long as he’s contracted for 2025, the urgency to extend his contract isn’t a pressing concern.
Chase may also be taking cues from the market scenario. Justin Jefferson, Chase’s former college teammate, may reset the market with his potential second contract.
This could have significant impacts on negotiations in the future.
