Impact of the Ja’Marr Chase Hold-Out

With Ja’Marr Chase’s “hold-in” going to a presumed “hold-out”, who stands to gain the most in 2024 if he misses regular season time? Missing a wide receiver like Ja’Marr is not ideal, yet this is the situation Cincinnati finds themselves in as of today, August 18, 2024. Hope around Cincinnati is that a deal will be done before the season starts, but if it doesn’t get done and the “hold-out” extends into the regular season, here are the three biggest winners.

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Tee Higgins

Tee Higgins stands to gain the most if Ja’Marr isn’t available during the regular season due to his hold-out. Throughout his four years in the league, Higgins has amassed 257 receptions, 3,684 receiving yards, and 24 touchdowns.

During his time in Cincinnati, Higgins has been one of, if not the best, number two wide receiver in the league. Going into a contract year himself, Higgins has a point to prove. He wants to be the guy, and if Ja’Marr misses, time Higgins will have the chance to prove to the league why he can be the top guy at the receiver spot.

Mike Gesicki

No, Ja’Marr means Burrow is going to need a guy to lean on besides Tee. Gesicki should be a great option for Joe Burrow if Chase were to miss any games due to his “hold-out.” The seventh-year tight end is coming into Cincinnati looking to show the football world that he is an elite pass catcher.

Coming off of two poor seasons in a row, Gesicki finds himself in a situation with the Bengals that couldn’t get any better. The Bengals’ tight end room hasn’t been right in a long time, and with the possibility of not having Uno for some regular season time look for Gesicki to possibly see an increase in targets.

Andrei Iosivas

In 2023, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Andrei Iosivas in the 6th round of the draft (pick 206). The 6-foot-3, 205-pound second-year man from Princeton has shown much improvement in camp and has earned high praise from Burrow this offseason.

If Chase were to miss time, Iosivas should be the Bengals' default WR 2, and Joe Burrow should give Andrei plenty of opportunities to carve out a larger role even after Chase returns.

In ‘23, Iosivas didn’t have many opportunities behind Ja’Marr, Tee, and Tyler Boyd (who signed with Tennessee). When his number was called he showed he could be a good addition to the receiver core with 15 catches for 116 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Final Thoughts

Having Joe and Ja’Marr together healthy is one of the most lethal duos in the entire league… but if Chase continues to “hold out” into the regular season, look for these three guys to make the biggest splash.

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This article was written by Logan Tharp