Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase inch toward a potential showdown

Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase wanted his new contract yesterday, literally. (He actually wanted it two days ago.) On Sunday, the Bengals play the Patriots. That’s when we’ll all find out whether Chase will take the field, at a total fourth-year compensation package of $4.8 million.

The Bengals reportedly are proceeding as if Chase will play, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. However, the Bengals are also prepared to pivot if he doesn’t.

Our money would be on doesn’t. As explained during Friday night’s Packers-Eagles pregame, Chase is willing to sit if he doesn’t get what he wants. Already, the Bengals had listed him on the injury report as questionable, even though he wasn’t injured.

On Saturday, the Bengals revised the report to add “illness” to his designation. It doesn’t take a genius (which qualifies me to say it) to conclude that Chase has laid the foundation for his decision to not play tomorrow.

What’s the endgame, though? Will Chase just not play until the Bengals give him what he wants? At what point will the Bengals play hardball?

Think back to 2004, when receiver Terrell Owens wanted a revised deal from the Eagles. The Eagles said no, Owens caused trouble, and the Eagles eventually suspended him for conduct detrimental to the team.

The difference this time is that Owens played (he averaged more than 100 receiving yards in seven games during his season of extreme discontent) and Chase isn’t doing shirtless driveway situps. But the end result is the same. The player is taking a stand. And the team might not stand for it.

It all comes down to Sunday. If he doesn’t play, will the Bengals just take it?

Things could get very interesting, soon. They also could get very ugly. So far, the two sides have been playing nice. Things could change, very soon.