Ja’Marr Chase present at practice, doesn’t participate for second day in a row

CINCINNATI —

For the second consecutive day, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was present at the team’s practice but not participating.

Chase, 24, arrived at Thursday afternoon’s practice in street clothes for the second day in a row. Chase previously returned to practice on Sunday and Monday after watching from the sideline for the entirety of training camp.

Throughout the offseason, Chase has been seeking a contract extension that would make him among the NFL’s highest-paid wide receivers.

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Earlier this week, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he was optimistic that Chase would suit up against the New England Patriots in Week 1 on Sept. 8. After Chase’s non-participation on Wednesday, Taylor was more noncommittal on the subject.

“I think every day is a new day, we will keep working through it,” Taylor said on Chase. “Not going to make predictions on what tomorrow brings. At the end of the day, Ja’Marr is a great dude, means a lot to this team and we’ll just continue to take it day-to-day.”

Chase returned to practice for the first time on Sunday and according to Taylor, looked great during his reps with the team this week.

On Wednesday, Taylor added that Chase is fully healthy and he is confident Chase would be ready to go for Week 1 against the New England Patriots, even without practicing with the team.

“He’s been in every meeting. He knows everything. He’s been in the system now for three years that he’s played in, and in the fourth year now. He’s very on top of it,” Taylor said of Chase.

During Thursday’s practice, Bengals owner Mike Brown was seen next to Chase on a golf cart, though the two did not appear to interact while the practice was open to the media.

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Before training camp began, Brown spoke about the chances that Chase receives an extension to stay in the Queen City long-term.

“He is a key player,” Brown said. “Next to Joe (Burrow), he is the next one. He knows it. We know it. This may take a while. We are going to bend over backwards to get it done. I can’t tell you when though.”

Historically, the Bengals have been willing to negotiate extensions until the start of the season. Last year, quarterback Joe Burrow agreed to his deal on the NFL’s opening night, while in 2015, wide receiver AJ Green and the Bengals agreed on a deal just days before the team’s season opener.

Without an extension, Chase is under contract with the Bengals for two more seasons, with Cincinnati exercising his fifth-year option for 2025 earlier this year.