Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase kicked off this week the same way he ended last one.
Reporters at the open portion of the team’s Monday practice session sent word that Chase was present when the team took the field, but that he is in street clothes rather than a uniform and that he remains out of drills.
Chase is looking for a new contract that would put him in the neighborhood of the ones that Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb have signed in recent months. He reported to training camp, but did not practice and returned to the sideline after taking part in one practice early last week.
With less than a week left before the Bengals open the season against the Patriots, the question in Cincinnati will be whether Chase has any intention of playing without getting that deal in place. Quarterback Joe Burrow got a new deal shortly before last season started, although he only missed practice time because of a calf injury that hampered him during the early part of the season as well.
It’s unclear if something similar is a possibility for Chase, but it’s clear Burrow and the Bengals will be in much better shape if something does come together.
