Ja’Marr Chase in uniform at Bengals practice; hold-in over?

National Football League

Published Sep. 4, 2024 2:37 p.m. ET

Ja’Marr Chase is apparently letting go of his hold-in with the 2024 regular season about to kick off.

The Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver suited up Wednesday Cincinnati’s first official practice of the regular season. His appearance was a surprise as Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said moments before Chase walked out onto the field that he was uncertain if his star wide receiver would participate Wednesday or even play in Week 1 against the New England Patriots.

“We’ll see,” Taylor told reporters when asked about Chase’s status for this week.

Chase, who is seeking an extension, has not partaken in the team’s past few practices and has been involved intermittently since the start of training camp. Taylor told reporters last week that the Bengals were expecting Chase to be a full participant in practice moving forward, but that hasn’t been the case. The receiver was late last Wednesday practice and didn’t participate with the rest of the team during workouts. A similar situation occurred at Monday’s practice, with Chase arriving in street clothes before helping out with receivers during drills.

Following Chase’s decision to not practice last week, Taylor said that he “probably put my foot in my mouth speaking too quickly” when speaking about the receiver’s status. He’s also reiterated since then that the team is taking the situation “day-by-day.”

How much Chase participates Wednesday remains to be seen, though an official designation of his involvement will soon be provided because it’s a game week.

Chase is entering the fourth season of his rookie deal and is under contract for the 2025 season after the Bengals picked up his fifth-year option earlier in the offseason. The former No. 5 overall pick has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three season and is now apparently looking to cash in on what’s been a record-setting offseason for receivers. His former LSU teammate, Justin Jefferson, received a four-year, $140 million deal to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

It’s believed that Chase is pushing for a similar pact. He came in at No. 4 in FOX Sports’ ranking of the top wideouts entering the 2024 season.

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