Chad Johnson doubles down on a bold take that won't make Bengals fans happy

Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson has never been shy with his words, even if they aren't what fans want to hear.

Johnson declared on The Adam Schefter Podcast that if the Bengals don't reach a deal with Pro Bowl wideout Ja'Marr Chase, then Chase will sit out of regular season games.

"He's not touching the field," Johnson said of the scenario .

And he's not backing down from that statement.

Chad Johnson doubles down on bold Ja'Marr Chase take

Johnson's statement has gotten plenty of traction over social media Monday, and the candid personality has always been an active poster. So when he had the opportunity to reaffirm what he said upon being accused of having no clue about the situation, he took it.

"You have no clue either if you think he's stepping on that field without a deal," Johnson responded in his post.

Chase has watched all but one practice over the past month from the sideline. He was absent for one afternoon and it's unclear whether or not it was excused by the club. The last time the Bengals experienced something similar was when Jessie Bates was away from the team during the 2022 offseason. Bates was given the franchise tag and didn't sign until right before the regular season.

A player sitting out regular season games would be an entirely different beast, and Chase isn't even entering a contract year. The Bengals exercised the fifth-year option on his contract back in the spring. If he doesn't play in the regular season, he doesn't accrue a year of experience and he risks failing to qualify for free agency when his deal does expire.

Nevertheless, Johnson's dug in with his take. But two things should also be noted.

For starters, Johnson told Schefter that he hasn't talked to Chase about any of this. Chase has been quiet since his " hold-in " began at the onset of training camp. He's not getting this directly from the source, so it has to be taken as speculation.

Speaking of speculation, Johnson also believes that a deal will get done "probably sometime this week" and "definitely" before the season starts.

Johnson is a fantastic ambassador for the Bengals and a rightfully member of the franchise's Ring of Honor, but he's not an insider and isn't portraying as one in this setting.

What happens between the Bengals and Chase is for only those two sides to know , and for the rest of us to project. The hold up could involve either side waiting to see how the rest of the receiver market unfolds . There could be a disconnect regarding the length of the deal.

We simply don't know, and despite Johnson's wisdom as a former player, he's only guessing with confidence.

Related: Chad Johnson makes appearance at Bengals OTAs only to get beaten by a rookie in practice