Bengals still without two stars amid contract demands

The Bengals have been practicing without two of their best players in training camp, and no signs point to that changing.

The first is wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. The three-time Pro Bowler has yet to practice since camp opened, but head coach Zac Taylor said the two " are on the same page ."

What exactly that means is up for debate, but Chase's stance is likely due to his contract situation.

Chase is due just $1.055M in base salary this year and surely wants to be paid more after registering 268 catches for 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns since entering the league at the No. 5 overall pick in 2021.

His former LSU teammate, Justin Jefferson, just became the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, and Chase has the chance to be the same.

However, owner Mike Brown recently indicated that he doesn't see a new contract for Chase coming anytime soon.

"This may take a while," Brown said , via Cincinnati Bengals Talk. "It's not so likely that this is the good time to negotiate. The offseason is a better time for that. We're gonna try to keep focused on the football part. I'm not gonna rule anything out, but I will tell you the die has probably been cast."

If Cincinnati is unwilling to give Chase the payday he's looking for this year, it may be a while until fans see him back on the field.

The second player is defensive end Trey Hendrickson. The three-time Pro Bowler participated on the first day of training camp but has now missed three straight practices.

The 29-year-old did request a trade in April with no guaranteed money left on the remaining two years of his contract, but later said he wants to play for the Bengals " a long time ."

Hendrickson is due to make $15M this season and $16M in 2025, but he deserves to be paid more after recording a career-high 17.5 sacks in 2023.

Cincinnati hasn't revealed when either player could make his return, but being without its top receiver and pass rusher isn't an ideal start.