Ja'Marr Chase's contract demands for Bengals extension are hilariously petty

The Cincinnati Bengals were hit with a vicious curveball on Wednesday afternoon when Ja'Marr Chase showed up to practice in street clothes. That happened precisely one day after head coach Zac Taylor told reporters that Chase, in the throes of intense contract negotiations, would be a full participant all week.

Frankly, incredible move from Chase. I think we're all a bit tired of wide receiver posturing this summer — Brandon Aiyuk still hasn't made a lick of progress in San Francisco — but yanking the rug out from beneath your head coach and the entire team is at least amusing. It's certainly a compelling negotiating strategy. Chase is making waves in the Bengals camp.

Far be it from me to keep a man from his bag. Chase is looking to get paid and until the Bengals cough up what seems to be an inevitably large volume of cash, we are going to get more updates of this variety. The 24-year-old is widely viewed as one of the very best at his position and the Bengals' offense relies heavily upon a productive passing attack, so it's only a matter of time until this gap is bridged.

We think.

According to the latest report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, we have a solid number on Chase's contract demands. Five years, $140 million... and one cent. He wants to beat Justin Jefferson's record-breaking deal by one cent, which would make Chase the new highest-paid, non-QB player in league history.

"My understanding is that the two sides are still discussing a long-term extension, that, if he got it, would make him either: Tied for the highest-paid receiver with Justin Jefferson, or beating Justin Jefferson by one cent, which I believe is the goal by Ja'Marr Chase."

Ja'Marr Chase wants the largest non-QB contract in NFL history from Bengals

This was more or less inevitable. CeeDee Lamb inked a four-year, $136 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys this week, making exactly $1 million less than Jefferson annually. The Minnesota Vikings paid Jefferson closer to the initial wave of pricey WR contracts this summer, which included new deals for A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jaylen Waddle, among others.

Chase is holding out for that extra ~$4 million to tie or beat his former LSU teammate in Jefferson. It's fairly remarkable that former teammates are now widely viewed as the best players at their position. It would be poetic if both received the same contract.

There are more financial hurdles for Cincinnati than Minnesota, though. The Vikings are paying Sam Darnold a dirt-cheap contract to start at quarterback. The Bengals recently saddled Joe Burrow with what was the largest contract in NFL history at the time. He's still tied for the highest AAV in the league at $55 million. Money runs out eventually. It won't run out for Chase — well, it shouldn't — but inking Chase to his desired contract will force a roster crunch elsewhere. Only so many historic salaries can fit on the same payroll.

Chase is coming off what was essentially his worst NFL season to date, in large part due to Burrow's injury and the hamstrung state of Cincinnati's offense. He still managed 100 receptions for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns across 16 games. If that is a "down" year, well, the Bengals can't afford to lose him.

Expect this deal to cross the finish line eventually, no matter how uncomfortable it gets in the meantime.