NFL insider outlines why Ja’Marr Chase’s negotiations for potential $180,000,000 deal could “drag out”

Re-signing the top receiver in the NFL this season may not be as clear-cut for the Cincinnati Bengals as it appears.

Ja’Marr Chase is coming off a banner 2024 season, with the former LSU product winning the receiving triple crown as he led the league in yards through the air (1,708), receptions (127) and receiving touchdowns (17).

However, even with his excellent campaign, an extension in Cincinnati could take some time to materialize. ESPN’s Dan Graziano said that talks on a significant salary bump for the Bengals' star wideout may depend on Chase’s negotiation tactics.

"The Bengals have a long-held policy of refusing to guarantee any money beyond the signing bonus in long-term veteran contracts (other than Joe Burrow’s deal), and if Chase demands they make an exception for him, this could drag out for a while," Graziano wrote on Friday.

In the previous offseason, Chase held out throughout training camp and he may be willing to take his time before getting a deal that he likes.

At the top of the wide receiver market based on salary is Chase’s former teammate at LSU, Justin Jefferson, who earns $35 million per year with the Minnesota Vikings.

Cincinnati’s Likely Offer to Chase

While the Bengals have not given some players guaranteed wages, there’s no denying what Chase offers and that he and Joe Burrow are the keys to their success.

According to ESPN, the most likely scenario is to offer Chase a massive signing bonus to convince him to sign with them long-term while also sticking to the team's traditional policy.

If that works, he’ll be making over $38 million in signing bonuses, which is the highest for a receiver held by the Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb.

"It’s just tough to imagine a structure in which the Bengals are OK with Chase getting the $100-million-plus guaranteed that Lamb and Jefferson got," Graziano wrote. "For the sake of a prediction, though, let’s say they blow Lamb’s signing bonus out of the water with a number that “virtually” guarantees at least the first two years of the extension."

ESPN also predicted that both parties will eventually agree to a five-year $180 million contract extension with $70 million in guaranteed money for Chase. It would reset the receiver market in average annual value.

Chase is set to play out his fifth-year option in 2025 from his 2021 rookie contract.