Bengals owner Mike Brown says he will ‘strive’ to extend receiver Ja’Marr Chase

The Cincinnati Bengals have a reputation for being cheap, and that’s not necessarily fair anymore.

The Bengals signed some expensive free agents. They signed Joe Burrow to a contract that set an NFL record at $55 million per year (it was tied to Trevor Lawrence’s deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars). The old trope that the Bengals don’t spend money hasn’t worked for a while now.

Still, there’s another test on the Bengals’ table. Receiver Ja’Marr Chase, one of the best players in the NFL, is entering his fourth season in the NFL. This means he only has two years left on his rookie contract and wishes and extension.

Bengals owner Mike Brown addressed this with the Cincinnati media and said the team will “strive” to extend Chase. The Bengals better do more than just give it their all.

Brown’s “try hard” comment wouldn’t be a topic of discussion for most other NFL owners, but the Bengals still have the stigma of being cheap. Brown said the Bengals intend to extend Chase and that is their priority, but Bengals fans still want it done.

Brown told the media he wanted a deal done now, but that hasn’t happened yet. This is understandable. The cost to Chase isn’t cheap. Justin Jefferson just agreed to a four-year, $140 million contract, and his $35 million-per-year extension has redefined the market. Chase isn’t on Jefferson’s level, but he’s close and likely wants a similar deal. It’s the Bengals’ priority to do something.

“We will strive to make this happen,” said Brown, by Olivia Ray of WLWT. “I can’t say when that will be done.”

They better do that if they want to continue distancing themselves from the notion that they won’t spend on their best players.

When will Chase be signed?

Chase was the fifth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and lived up to his prospect status. He has three 1,000-yard seasons, including a 1,455-yard, 13-touchdown rookie season. Chase won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award that season. He is undeniably one of the best in the NFL.

It will be a challenge for the Bengals to pay Burrow and Chase together, but Cincinnati needs to find a way. And that will probably happen. The Bengals clearly anticipated Chase’s extension. A big reason the team didn’t sign Tee Higgins to a long-term extension is that it might be too difficult to get Burrow, Chase and Higgins on long-term deals (although the Philadelphia Eagles are doing that with Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown and Devonta Smith). Higgins has a one-year franchise and appears likely to hit free agency in 2025,

Let’s assume the deal gets done and Brown’s “trying hard” tone is just indicating it’s in the works and not preparing Bengals fans for the possibility of Chase’s new deal not getting done.

There are some unresolved contract issues surrounding the NFL as training camps begin, and Chase’s upcoming contract is one of them. The Bengals are working to do that.