Adam Schefter inaccurately portrays Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase's contract on 'ESPN Live'

ESPN "NFL Live" analysts Adam Schefter, Ryan Clark and Mike Tannenbaum discussed the Bengals' strategy in negotiating with star receiver Ja'Marr Chase, the day after Mina Kimes, Kevin Clark and Jeff Darlington wondered why team president and owner Mike Brown hasn't yet given Chase a contract extension after the former LSU star's first three impressive NFL seasons in Cincinnati.

"I'm gonna be pleased if it gets done so we retain his rights out into the future," Brown said Monday, per The Enquirer's Kelsey Conway . "The earlier the better. But he's a great player, and we know what he means to the team. He and his agent have an idea about that too."

Brown also told reporters "it's not so likely that this is a good time to negotiate" and "the offseason is a better time for that."

Chase, who is under contract through 2025, is scheduled to earn a roster bonus of more than $3.8 million later this week, per Spotrac.com .

"Listen, Mike Brown doesn't often talk to the media," Schefter said Tuesday on "NFL Live." "And I think that may be why right there. Because when you come out and speak like that, you're essentially saying, 'We're not close to a deal. And we don't expect to be doing one anytime soon though he is the next big contract we want to get done.' Okay. So they're not gonna get Ja'Marr Chase done. Ja'Marr Chase right now is scheduled to make just over $1 million this season. Now if you're Ja'Marr Chase, and you're advising him, why are you stepping on the football field for $1 million when there are other receivers making over $30 million? Now maybe I'm naive, and maybe he's just gonna step out there and play this season out for $1 million. Somehow, I don't see that going smoothly. Am I right? You think he's playing this year for $1 million and not doing anything?"

While Chase's base salary for the year is $1.05 million, his actual compensation this year will be more than $4.8 million, according to Spotrac.com . For comparison, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson just reset the wide receiver market with a 4-year, $140 million contract, but his base salary this year is only $1.17 million. Jefferson will make more than $38 million this year in compensation.

"Schefty, I've never heard you be more correct in my entire life," Clark said. "I didn't even think about those numbers. $1 million? When you look at someone like Justin Jefferson (who's) gonna get $110 (million) guaranteed. Amon-Ra St. Brown - who was a part of the same draft class - drafted in the fourth round, as opposed to Ja'Marr Chase being drafted fifth overall. Being able to do what he's done on the field? And now only making $1 million? You know what Mike Brown is essentially going to Ja'Marr Chase's house and doing? He's putting on a mask and saying, 'Put the money in the bag.' Because he is absolutely robbing him. And so if you're Ja'Marr Chase, you're going to have to make a decision. Am I willing to hold out to get my money, when we know a ton of times when you have that first-round pick, they wait until after the fourth year to pay the wide receiver. We saw the same thing with Justin Jefferson. We're now seeing it with CeeDee Lamb. Is Ja'Marr Chase willing to bet on himself and the Cincinnati Bengals that this will get done after this season?"

"Let me remind you that Bobby Bonilla, who hasn't played for the (New York) Mets in an awfully long time, is making more this year than Ja'Marr Chase," Schefter said. "One of the top wide receivers in all of football. Bobby Bonilla is making more than him. And again, we may see Ja'Marr Chase in Cincinnati at Bengals camp. We may see him there. But I think - and I don't think it's unreasonable to think this - that Ja'Marr Chase has some decisions to make about how he's going to attack this summer, how he's gonna attack this season. If that contract is left unadjusted and not addressed as Mike Brown is saying will be the case essentially, can't you just see us getting into the season? His hamstring's sore, his shoulder's sore. Whatever it may be, it is hard for me to imagine that Ja'Marr Chase is gonna play this full season making $1 million."

"When you're roughly $34 million below market value, I can't imagine there's any conversation that has him playing this season until there's at least some reasonable adjustment for this year, let alone the contract extension he should get. And I question the Bengals' strategy from this standpoint. If we … were having this conversation back right after the Super Bowl, around the Combine, you could see DeVonta Smith and all these other players from Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyreek Hill and all the way up to Justin Jefferson. They knew where the market was going. They cost themselves so much money. Maybe $6 to 8 million a year on a five-year deal. That's $40 million. If Cincinnati was more aggressive a few months ago, they should've had this deal done."

"And Mike Brown said the time to have this conversation is in the offseason," Schefter added. "We're coming off of months of the offseason. So did they not have the conversation? Did they not get the deal done at that point in time? The time to have that conversation was in the offseason. It's not next offseason. Now it hangs over everybody."

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Adam Schefter inaccurately portrays Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase's contract on 'ESPN Live'