Despite contract impasse, Ja'Marr Chase active for Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, locked in a protracted contract dispute with the team, will play in Sunday's opener against the visiting New England Patriots. He had been listed on the team's injury report as questionable due to illness. Chase had said he would be the one to decide whether he would suit up against the Patriots, and he decided to, even though ESPN reported Sunday morning that the Bengals and Chase were unable to come to a contract agreement before game day. The contract stalemate kept Chase on the sidelines for training camp and the preseason, and he just returned to practice on Wednesday. His usage against the Patriots likely will be low and limited to key plays, such as third down or in the red zone, since he did not have the opportunity to work himself into top game shape. Chase is seeking a contract extension along the lines of his former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings. Jefferson reset the market with a four-year, $140 million contract ($35 million per season) that eclipsed the $32 million per year Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown receives. Amon-Ra St. Brown signed a four-year deal worth $30.002 million per year with the Detroit Lions, and the Dallas Cowboys finally paid CeeDee Lamb's asking price -- four years, $136 million with $100 million guaranteed -- last month to bring his offseason holdout to a close. Chase caught 100 passes for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He's scheduled to play on the final year of his four-year rookie contract -- at a base salary of $1.055 million -- and has a fifth-year team option worth $21.8 million for 2025. The No. 5 pick in the 2021 draft, Chase has 268 catches for 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns in 45 games with Cincinnati. While Chase is available to play, the Bengals listed the following players as inactive: wide receivers Tee Higgins and Kendric Pryor, defensive end Cedric Johnson, offensive tackle Amarius Mims, tight end Tanner McLachlan and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. As for the Patriots, they listed wide receiver Javon Baker, quarterback Joe Milton III, linebacker Curtis Jacobs, guard Sidy Sow, defensive tackle Eric Johnson and tackles Zachary Thomas and Demontrey Jacobs as inactive. --Field Level Media