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Ladies and gentlemen, guess what? We have a hold-in! That means a player is showing up but not really playing because he wants more money. This time, it’s Ja’Marr Chase from the Cincinnati Bengals. Everyone saw this coming because the Bengals’ owner, Mike Brown, is known for not spending much money.
Yep, you heard that right.
The Bengals are great at picking good players in the draft. Duke Tobin and his team deserve credit for finding talent early on. But when it comes to paying these stars, someone else always seems to pick up the tab. Imagine Brown sneaking off to his old car parked across two spots at a local diner…
“I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.” The Bengals are cooler than ever thanks to Joe Burrow. He’s helped them win playoff games—something they hadn’t done in a long while. But now, it looks like Brown doesn’t want to pay one of Burrow’s best friends from college either.
Chase’s teammates know it’s just business, but they must be frustrated too.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase is present but isn’t participating in stretches. Trending toward not practicing for the second straight day.
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) July 25, 2024
Brown needs to understand that winning takes more than just Burrow.
A team only has so long to win a Super Bowl. For the Bengals, this might be their last big chance with this group of players. After this season, Tee Higgins will likely leave. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo might get a head coaching job too. It feels like now or never for Cincinnati.
Other teams would try hard to keep their best players before they hit free agency. Look at Dallas and CeeDee Lamb; he’s holding out too. It didn’t have to be this way.
Chase has shown he’s one of the best wide receivers in his three seasons as a pro. He should get top-dollar just like Justin Jefferson did with the Vikings earlier this year. “Pay the man!” It’s not rocket science; Chase deserves it.
Why do some teams like the Bengals seem stuck in the past?
That’s all folks!
