Ja'Marr Chase is expected to remain with the Cincinnati Bengals beyond the 2024 season. But until he puts pen to paper, the All-Pro receiver's future with the team is anything but a sure thing.
Chase may have inadvertently fueled possible speculation regarding his future on Friday after he was asked about his motivation for the final five games of the season. While they haven't been eliminated, Cincinnati (4-8) will likely miss the playoffs for a second straight year.
"What's pushing me most this year with the (team) record is just making memories with the guys I have around me," Chase said, via The Athletic. "Who knows what will happen in the next year?"
Chase was likely referring to the Bengals roster as a whole, as the team is expected to make sweeping changes this offseason, especially on a defense that has woefully underperformed this season. There is a chance, however, that Chase was alluding to his uncertain future after he and the Bengals were not able to come to terms on a new deal this offseason.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Chase has substantially increased his market value this season. He currently leads all wideouts in receiving yards and touchdown receptions. Chase currently has his sights set on breaking his own single-season franchise receiving record of 1,455 yards that he set during his rookie season.
Given his success this year, Chase will likely pursue a contract that will make him the league's highest-paid receiver. Bengals owner Mike Brown has said the team's priority is retaining quarterback Joe Burrow and the team's top wideouts. But the team isn't expected to re-sign fellow receiver Tee Higgins, who is playing this season on the franchise tag. And given the Bengals' need to re-vamp their defense, it's fair to wonder if they are considering changing their plans regarding Chase.
Again, it's expected that the Bengals will sign Chase while keeping the league's best QB-WR duo in tact for multiple years to come. But given their checkered history with contracts, their previously failed attempts to extend Chase, and the team's other pressing needs, the odds that Chase may indeed be playing his final weeks in a Bengals uniform appear to be rising, albeit ever so slightly.
