Ja'Marr Chase indicates deal with Bengals is 'close,' but sets quick deadline

One of the main storylines for NFL fans to watch this offseason, as has become tradition, was contract extensions. Several players, especially receivers, were seeking new deals.

After waiting the entire offseason and causing a major scene, Brandon Aiyuk signed an extension to remain with the San Francisco 49ers. CeeDee Lamb didn't cause quite the same stir before signing a long-term deal with the Dallas Cowboys, but he was holding out. Ja'Marr Chase has been a hold-in but entered the offseason wanting a new deal. Unfortunately for Chase, nothing has changed.

Chase spent all of training camp attending, but not participating in practice. He finally participated this past week in a limited capacity giving Cincinnati Bengals fans hope for an extension, but nothing transpired on the contract front.

Now, things appear closer than they have all summer with Chase saying that both sides are in reach of a deal, but he might've made things a lot more difficult by setting a hard and quick deadline.

Ja'Marr Chase hopes quick deadline can lead to contract extension with Bengals

In his mind, today, Friday, Sept. 6, is the deadline to get a contract extension done. The fact that Chase believes that the sides are close is a good thing, but can they hash out all of the details today? Is this a hard deadline?

Chase notably added that he's willing to play this season out without a new extension, but there are some concerns that come with that. Will Chase be playing his hardest, knowing that maximum effort could result in serious injury that could cost him financially? Chase will play to gain a year of service time, but how many games will he be willing to play in? Will he play through minor injuries?

Whether an extension with Chase can be reached or not, his status for Sunday's series opener against the New England Patriots is up in the air, which makes sense, since he hasn't really practiced. Without a new deal, it's safe to be concerned about the weeks to come too.

If we're really being honest, a deal with Chase should have been done by now. The wide receiver market has been set for quite some time now, with arguably the two best receivers in the NFL in Lamb and Justin Jefferson signing new deals. Paying Chase now, when the market is set, not only gives both sides an idea of what a deal should look like, but gives the Bengals the opportunity to get Chase on terms that can look extremely team-friendly in the next year or two as other receivers ink new deals.

Hopefully for both sides, a deal can get done. For the Bengals to have any sort of shot this season, they're going to need Chase to be the elite receiver he's been.