Ja’Marr Chase refutes reports he wants contract one penny higher than Justin Jefferson
Ja’Marr Chase didn’t mince words when it came to his quest to topple his former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson and become the league’s highest-paid wide receiver.
A myriad of reports have claimed Chase wants a contract one penny higher than Jefferson’s new deal, which would make him the highest-paid wide receiver of all time, and give him bragging rights over the Minnesota Vikings star. Evidently, that’s not the case for Chase, and he’s shooting much, much higher than that.
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“If I want to beat Justin, I’m going to beat the shit out of Justin. Not by a penny,” Chase told Marshall Kramsky of WCPO 9 in Cincinnati, ahead of Week 1.
Moreover, the drama all stems from Chase entering the last year of his rookie contract, and the Bengals already picked up his fifth-year option. His desire for an extension comes as the wide receiver market took multiple turns this offseason with multiple big contracts coming down.
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The aforementioned Jefferson secured a four-year, $140 million deal, while Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown landed a four-year, $120 million agreement. They were both pending free agents after the 2024 season.
Another NFC North receiver – D.J. Moore – got a historic extension from the Chicago Bears two years before he was due to hit free agency, as well.
Now, Chase is searching for long-term security beyond the one-year team option. Bengals owner Mike Brown addressed Chase’s situation last month, saying the franchise will “bend over backwards” to get a deal done.
Last season, Chase had a team-high 1,216 receiving yards on 100 catches with seven touchdowns. Tee Higgins, who played just 12 games, had 656 yards on 42 catches with five touchdowns. It was his first season with fewer than 900 receiving yards after posting two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and 2022.
Back during the 2021 NFL Draft, Chase was the No. 5 overall draft pick by the Bengals. He earned that designation after a fantastic career at LSU.
In two seasons with the Tigers, Chase logged 107 catches for 2,093 yards and 23 touchdowns. His breakout campaign came in 2019, when LSU won the national title and he went for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Ja’Marr Chase is one of the top wide receivers in the entire NFL, and the key piece to the Bengals offense. If he does end up topping Justin Jefferson to become the league’s highest-paid wide receiver, it’d be a well-earned accomplishment.
On3’s Thomas Goldkamp and Nick Schultz contributed to this article.