How much money is Ja’Marr Chase seeking? Star WR reportedly turned down a massive payday from the Bengals

After all the fuss and hoopla, most teams embroiled in contract negotiations with star players managed to settle their disputes before the regular season. The San Francisco 49ers agreed to terms with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, while the Dallas Cowboys signed a long-term deal with quarterback Dak Prescott hours before kickoff on Sunday.

While other teams have turned their focus to the regular season, the Cincinnati Bengals have yet to reach an agreement with star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

Chase is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal, but is still under contract due to the fifth-year team option that was picked up for the 2025 season. The 24-year-old wideout did not participate in practice during training camp as negotiations simmered, but he ultimately reported to practice ahead of the team's regular season opener without a new deal.

Ja'Marr Chase turned down massive contract due to guaranteed money

According to James Rapien of Sports Illustrated, the Bengals came close to signing a contract extension with Chase before the regular season, but negotiations broke down over one significant detail.

The Bengals reportedly offered Chase a four-year, $140 million contract with $90 million guaranteed and a $30 million signing bonus. Chase was reportedly satisfied with those figures, but the two sides disagreed over when the salary would become fully guaranteed.

At first glance, Chase's reported contract offer seems similar to the deal signed by Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, but there could be significant differences between the two contracts.

NFL contracts often aren't what they seem. For example, the average annual value of Tyreek Hill's contract is inflated by the $55.5 million salary cap hit in the last year of the deal — an untenable figure that no team would be able to afford. Similarly, guaranteed money isn't always fully guaranteed.

The guaranteed money in an NFL player contract is categorized by three designations, per The 33rd Team: skill, salary cap, and injury. Depending on the designation, some guaranteed money might not be guaranteed under certain circumstances or until certain dates.

Although Jefferson's four-year, $140 million contract includes $110 million guaranteed, only $88.7 million was fully guaranteed at signing. In comparison, the reported $90 million guaranteed money offered to Chase isn't necessarily fully guaranteed. If there was a disagreement regarding the guarantees, it's likely that the star wideout didn't believe the Bengals would ever have to pay that money.

Chase was drafted with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. His connection with quarterback Joe Burrow, a former LSU teammate, helped elevate the Cincinnati offense to new heights.

The three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his three seasons. In 2021, Chase set the record for most receiving yards by a rookie with 1,455 yards. The Bengals reached Super Bowl LVI that season but lost against the Los Angeles Rams. Since then, they have struggled to find their way back.