Bengals HC Provides Huge Update on Ja’Marr Chase Week 1 Status

The Cincinnati Bengals expect wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to play in Week 1, head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Tuesday.

Chase did not participate during the majority of training camp, instead holding in through camp as he sought a contract extension with the team. He officially returned to practicing on Sunday.

Many of the recent top NFL first-round picks have signed contract extensions following their fourth NFL season. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson became the highest paid receiver in the NFL this offseason after he signed a four-year, $140 million deal. He is entering his fifth NFL season.

Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb followed suit, signing a four-year, $136 million extension on Monday. He is also entering his fifth NFL season.

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The fourth-year receiver remains on the four-year, $30.8 million rookie deal he signed with the Bengals in June 2021.The Bengals’ No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has been one of the most electric receivers in the NFL since he stepped onto the field for the Bengals.

As a rookie, Chase caught 81 passes for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns, the third-most receiving yards by a rookie in NFL history. He went for 266 yards and three touchdowns in Week 16 as the Bengals upset the Kansas City Chiefs, an NFL record for most receiving yards in a single game by a rookie.

Chase helped the Bengals upset the Chiefs once again in the postseason, as the Bengals advanced to Super Bowl LVI for the first time since the 1988 season. He set another record in the postseason, posting a rookie-record 368 yards. He was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year after the season.

Chase went for over 1,000 receiving yards again the following year, despite missing five games with a hairline fracture in his hip. He returned for the 2023 season, and recorded a career-high 100 receptions for 1,216 yards yards and seven touchdowns over 16 games.

The 24-year-old is one of the most explosive receivers in the NFL, with the ability to turn a short pass or simple slant into a long touchdown. He also has an outstanding connection with quarterback Joe Burrow, going back to their days at LSU as National Champions, making him one of the team’s most important players.

Chase’s current status indicates that he will be ready to go for the Bengals’ season opener against the New England Patriots on Sep. 8.

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