Ja’Marr Chase was not happy on Sunday afternoon.
Not only did the Cincinnati Bengals fall in a stunning 16-10 upset loss to the New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium — which eliminated more than 43% of users from Yahoo Sports survivor pools almost immediately — but Chase was significantly limited in the loss.
Chase was targeted just six times in the game, and he took the field without a new deal in place with the Bengals. Chase had been holding out throughout training camp for that new deal, which still hasn’t come.
As for why he was limited, Chase was adamant that he wasn’t the person to ask.
“You’ve gotta ask [head coach] Zac [Taylor],” he said plainly when asked about the plan by reporters after the game.
Chase has been angling for a new contract this fall and did not practice with the team at all in training camp or in the lead up to Sunday’s game. He said Friday that the two sides were “in reach” of a new agreement, but that didn’t happen before the game. Chase has two years left on his rookie deal after the Bengals picked up his fifth-year option. He’s set to earn $9.8 million this season and nearly $22 million in 2025.
It’s unclear what kind of a deal Chase is looking for, but several wide receivers have signed extensions across the league this season — including Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson, who inked a $140 million deal to lead the position.
Chase declined to get into contract talks with reporters on Sunday afternoon after the game, but he said Friday that it had been “kind of tough” having to wait this long for his new contract.
Chase also revealed that he had food poisoning in the lead up to the game, and that he was off to get an IV after meeting with reporters in the locker room.
“It doesn’t matter, I played bro,” Chase said of his illness, while adding that he was feeling better on Sunday. “It doesn’t matter.”
Chase was targeted just six times in the loss on Sunday. While he caught all six of those passes, and hauled in a game-high 62 receiving yards in the process, he wasn’t happy with his usage. He was on the field for 40 of their 48 offensive plays. Chase, however, said Friday that he expected to be limited a bit in the game due to his lack of snaps in training camp.
“I leave his business to him,” Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said when asked about Chase. “It was great to have him out there. I thought he played well.”
It’s unclear when Chase and the Bengals will agree to the new deal that they are reportedly close on, or if it will come before next week’s contest against the Kansas City Chiefs in Missouri. Though that deal isn’t in place yet, Chase will presumably practice with the team this week now that he’s playing again — which will certainly help their offense after it mustered just 234 total yards in the loss.
The Bengals are now just 1-10 in their first two games of each season under Taylor’s leadership, too.
“I lost. I don’t like losing,” Chase said.
