Bengals owner sends message about extension for superstar WR

Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase has yet to sign a contract extension, but Cincinnati is prepared to pay up for the 24-year-old pass catcher.

"He's a key player. Next to [quarterback Joe Burrow], he's our next one. He knows it, we know it," Bengals owner Mike Brown said in a Monday news conference . "This may take a while. We are gonna bend over backward to get it done. I can't tell you when, though."

The Bengals exercised Chase's fifth-year option in late April, meaning he's under contract through 2025. Still, Cincinnati should consider giving him a deal soon.

Prices for WRs have boomed since Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson signed a four-year, $140M deal in early June, making him the highest-paid non-QB in league history.

Spotrac estimates Chase's market value is a three-year deal worth $30.5M annually, the second highest at his position. The price may increase if he keeps thriving. Chase hauled in a career-high 100 receptions in 16 games in 2023 despite Burrow missing seven games with a right wrist injury.

Paying Burrow and Chase simultaneously creates a massive challenge. Last offseason, the 27-year-old Burrow became the highest-paid player in the NFL when he signed a five-year, $275M deal . Cincinnati may need another offseason to determine how it can sign Chase without decimating future cap space.

Regardless, it's smart for the Bengals to signal they want to extend the elite wideout. Since being drafted No. 5 overall in 2021, the LSU product has made three Pro Bowls .

More importantly, keeping Chase provides insurance if Cincinnati loses fellow WR Tee Higgins in 2025. The Bengals franchise-tagged Higgins this offseason but failed to reach a long-term deal before the deadline.