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Ben Baby, ESPN Staff Writer
CINCINNATI — The shoes told the story.
Not only was Ja’Marr Chase not wearing cleats during a training camp practice, but upon further inspection, the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver didn’t even have his shoes tied as he observed practice from afar.
Chase has not participated in any of the team’s training camp practices while he continues to wait on a new contract extension, one that team president Mike Brown indicated was unlikely to come before the start of the season.
But despite that, he has remained involved. Behind the scenes and as an observer, Chase is still impacting the offense.
“Even though he is not practicing, he’s been engaged,” said Bengals assistant Troy Walters, who coaches the receivers. “He’s asking questions, he’s helping the young guys. He’s been great.”
Chase is one of a few notable receivers who is not participating in their team’s camp practices in hopes of getting a lucrative extension.
San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk and Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb are also looking to cash in on strong starts to their career. Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson set the benchmark in June when he signed a four-year extension worth $140 million, including $110 guaranteed, the most ever given to a non-quarterback in league history.
Chase has declined interview requests since he started skipping workouts during the team’s mandatory minicamp, but his voice has been heard inside the building and on the practice field, especially with his fellow receivers.
Rookie Jermaine Burton, a third-round pick who is competing to become the starting slot receiver, has been near Chase at practice and also gained a few tips from the three-time Pro Bowler.
For example, Chase has been working with Burton on the intricacies of route running and creating separation, the rookie said. When changing direction on a route, Chase told Burton it’s better to have his feet angled at a certain way instead of being pointed forward. That adds roughly 25-30% more momentum when trying to break the other way to shake a defender.
“Honestly, it is kind of cool that while he’s not practicing, he can kind of focus a little bit more on my flaws and what I need to fix and stuff like that,” Burton told ESPN.
That is something Andrei Iosivas experienced when he entered the league last year too. The former sixth-round pick and second-year player said Chase would explain his thought process when facing a certain formation or sharing tips on how he would have attacked the defense.
For a young receiver, that can help accelerate their growth and development in the league.
“Sometimes hearing it from a different voice hits you in a different way,” Iosivas told ESPN.
And while the audio cues are great, the receivers and team are still getting a visual look at what Chase brings to the table. While not practicing, Chase is participating in the team’s walkthroughs before practice begins and is open to the public and media.
It is part of the oft-referenced plan that coach Zac Taylor has alluded to, one that has remained intentionally vague and invited ribbing from his brother, Press, the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“My brother is killing me for my plan,” Taylor said. “He wants to know my plan.”
Since the Bengals drafted Chase in 2021 with the fifth overall pick, he has been one of the NFL’s most dynamic receivers. Walters, who has played an instrumental role in developing Chase and the other wideouts, said that teams that will play man defense against other opponents will often shift into zone-heavy looks to slow Chase down. Still, the former LSU product has racked up 3,717 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns in his first three NFL seasons.
While Chase has been working through his preseason plan, he is also keeping his long-term goals in mind. Chase wants to be an All-Pro selection, an honor that has eluded him. He also wants to show that he can be used across the offensive formation.
“Chase and I talked about his game and becoming a complete route runner,” Walters said, “where he can run every route, being able to move around and play in the slot and still be a great, detailed route runner in the slot.”
Whenever Chase does decide to lace up his cleats, the Bengals know what to expect.
“He’s staying sharp mentally,” Walters said. “So when he does come back, I don’t think he’s going to skip a beat.”
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