Chase not at Bengals practice amid contract saga

Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterAug 13, 2024, 05:35 PM ET
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CINCINNATI — Tuesday’s practice featured an added twist in the saga involving Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

For the first time in training camp, Chase was not present when the team was practicing. The fourth-year player had not been participating at practice as he awaits a contract extension, but had remained visible and involved during drills.

However, that changed Tuesday. In a statement issued after practice, coach Zac Taylor indicated the situation will remain fluid.

“Ja’Marr [is] day-to-day,” Taylor said. “We’ll take it one day a time.”

Since training camp started, Taylor has maintained that Chase’s participation has gone according to plan despite the appearance of a hold-in. At the team’s annual media luncheon on July 22, team president Mike Brown indicated that a deal was going to be unlikely before the start of training camp.

“I’m not going to rule anything out,” Brown said. “But I will tell you that the die has probably been cast.”

Brown and the rest of the team’s leadership, including executive vice president Katie Blackburn and Duke Tobin, the director of player personnel, were present for the team’s final practice in Cincinnati this week. The Bengals will travel to Chicago for a joint practice on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s preseason game against the Bears.

Chase, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, did not participate in any of the team’s voluntary offseason workouts and did not partake in anything aside from walkthrough periods at the mandatory veteran minicamp. He has declined to speak to reporters since the end of last season.

The former LSU standout has two years remaining on his rookie contract, including the team’s fifth-year option that can be exercised on first-round picks. That option is fully guaranteed at $21.8 million, according to OverTheCap.com.

In other notable Bengals news, backup quarterback Jake Browning will be out with a rib injury. Browning practiced Monday but was a spectator Tuesday.

“He’ll miss some time with that,” Taylor said.