Ja’Marr Chase is betting on himself in a new way this offseason before he rejoins the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has not participated in voluntary workouts this offseason, and it sounds like he won’t show up until mandatory minicamp.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has not participated in voluntary workouts with the rest of his teammates this offseason.
Don’t worry. He’s not vying for a new contract. He’s simply taking a new approach.
WLWT’s Charlie Clifford reports Chase isn’t expected to arrive in Cincinnati until mandatory minicamp next month as he continues executing a “new offseason plan.”
Based on multiple conversations this week, this appears to be a veteran star transitioning to a new offseason plan and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Chase continues to work on his own until Cincinnati’s mandatory three-day minicamp (June 16- June 18).
Charlie Clifford
WLWT Sports Director
Chase isn’t just sitting at home. He’s training for the upcoming season with his own resources instead of the optional team-wide workouts. He’s not the first to take this route, and he won’t be the last.
What is Ja’Marr Chase missing before mandatory minicamp
If Chase does miss the entirety of Organized Team Activities (OTAs), then he’ll miss the first opportunities to catch passes from Joe Burrow in an official setting this year.
OTAs don’t officially start for Cincinnati until after May ends. The first set of practices run from June 1-3. Another set will occur between June 9-11.
These practices mark the start of Phase Three of the offseason program. Live contact is still prohibited, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills can begin.
It would be nice for all 11 starters to be present, but if there’s any two Bengals who already have enough chemistry between each other to last a lifetime, it’s Chase and Joe Burrow. He’s as well-versed in this offense as anyone. Missing this time is not going to have a real impact on the season.
The only thing he’s really missing out on is a little bonus in his contract.
Chase looks to be passing up workout bonus money
Included in every year of Chase’s four-year, $161 million contract is a $100,000 workout bonus. These bonuses are triggered by participating in a certain percentage of voluntary workouts during the offseason workout program.
The official NFL operations page states: “No workout bonus can require participation in beyond 84.375 percent of the team’s scheduled workouts (i.e. a player can miss five of 32 scheduled workouts and still receive his bonus.”
If Chase is foregoing attending any and all workouts, he’s foregoing his $100,000 bonus in the process. Passing up that money is a bet, albeit a relatively small one, on himself to be in even better shape when the time comes for all hands on deck.
Chase will be back when he needs to be back. For now, he’s doing his own thing.