Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase said earlier this offseason that he was waiting for Justin Jefferson to complete his new contract before worrying about his own. Now that Jefferson has reset the wide receiver market, though, the question is how long the Bengals will wait.
The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. argues that the Jefferson deal swings the leverage back in Cincinnati’s favor. Now that Jefferson has set the market, they can take their time. Through the fifth-year option, they still control Chase’s contract for the next two seasons. And he isn’t in a position to attempt any kind of holdout into the regular season.