The Cincinnati Bengals were unable to reach a contract extension with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase before the first week of the NFL season began.
And Stephen A. Smith is now praying for the Bengals’ downfall.
“I hope the Cincinnati Bengals get absolutely defeated,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take. “That organization makes me sick.”
The Bengals selected Chase with the No. 5 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. At just 24 years old, he has already established himself as one of the best receivers in the NFL and is expected to earn a big payday. He practiced all the time for the Bengals during this preseason as he negotiated a new deal.
Under Mike Brown’s ownership, the Bengals haven’t exactly been wasteful, even with their players. They had no choice but to give quarterback Joe Burrow a five-year, $275 million extension before last season.
“He was considered the Donald Sterling of the NFL,” Smith said of Browns ownership. “You add a player like Joe Burrow to your team … you pay him money, but then you go and give problems to the people he uses as his main weapon.”
Borough’s contract was a signal to many that Bengals were ready to play with full strength For a Super Bowl ring.
With Chase becoming one of the best receivers in the NFL, combined with fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins, the Bengals offense is believed to be unstoppable on paper for years to come.
But after this season, Higgins will be an unrestricted free agent because the Bengals were unable to work out a long-term deal with him. Surely, some other organization will be willing to spend big money for the Clemson product, who is still just 25 years old and could be a No. 1 receiving option.
The same thing is happening in real time with Chase. And Smith brought this up on national television.
There’s no doubt that Chase is already one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Sure, he technically still has two more seasons left on his rookie contract. But that’s not how the NFL works. You have to give one of your best players a chance to have some sense of security.
Not to mention that it seems likely the Bengals will lose Higgins this offseason because teams will be willing to pay him as a true No. 1 option. That makes Chase even more valuable.
Andrei Iosivas, Jermaine Burton, Charlie Jones and Trenton Erwin are the only other receivers on Cincinnati’s roster. The Bengals better get this sorted.
