Will Ja'Marr Chase be ready to suit up against the New England Patriots?
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase has been a training camp hold-in all summer long, showing up at Bengals practices without participating in any drills. But on Sunday, Chase took part in Bengals practice for the first time this year, giving fans and the team itself hope that their All-Pro wide receiver would be ready to go for Week 1.
The two sides have been in communication about a possible extension for months now, with Chase hoping that the eventual deal would make him one of, if not the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. Thus far, no deal has been reached, but as we just saw with the Dallas Cowboys and CeeDee Lamb, these situations can clear up quickly, and it doesn't seem that the tension between Chase and the Bengals was nearly as bad as things were in Dallas.
For this reason, it seems as if there is now newfound optimism in Cincinnati that Ja'Marr Chase will be on the field for the Bengals opener against the New England Patriots. In fact, according to The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr., after practice on Tuesday, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor offered a direct response when asked if he believed Chase would be good to go for Week 1.
“Zac Taylor asked if he is confident Ja'Marr Chase will play Week 1: ‘Yes,'” Dehner Jr. tweeted.
Ja'Marr Chase's presence would be massive for a Bengals squad that is looking to return to the postseason after Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury that derailed their 2023 Playoff hopes. Despite only ten games out of Burrow last season, Chase topped the 1,000 yard mark for the third consecutive time to begin his career.
If Ja'Marr Chase is back for the Bengals opening game of the season with a big-money, long-term contract to his name, you better believe that fans in Cincinnati will be doing backflips.
