The offseason drama surrounding Ja'Marr Chase‘s attempt to get a new contract amounted to nothing other than a slow start to the campaign for the receiver and team.
The Cincinnati Bengals star wideout suggested Thursday that all the distractions are finally over.
“All this BS that was going on this offseason and prior to the season, I’m just happy that it’s over with,” Chase said, via Ben Baby of ESPN. “I’m finally playing ball and having fun with the guys. That’s what matters most for me.”
Chase is due $4.86 million in 2024, excruciatingly low for a wideout of his caliber. In Year 5 of his contract, that number jumps to $21.816 million. With no deal coming this year, the storyline will reboot in the offseason.
Chase sat out training camp practices in an attempt to get a new contract that never came. The will-he-or-won’t-he practice situations hovered over the Bengals’ entire camp.
Missing time seemed to mess with Chase’s production early in the season. He opened the year with six catches for 62 yards and followed that up with a 4/35/0 line in Week 2 versus Kansas City.
In Week 3, Chase finally looked more like his big-play self, generating six catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. It helped that Tee Higgins was back in the lineup to help take some of the attention.
The Bengals offense got back to form against the Commanders. However, Cincy still fell to 0-3. The march to pull off something just four of 162 prior 0-3 clubs have done and make the postseason begins this Sunday in Carolina against Andy Dalton‘s Panthers.
“We’re right there,” Chase said. “We’re not too far away. We just got to finish in the end, and that’s the biggest thing right now.”
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