ESPN's Ryan Clark: Bengals' Mike Brown 'absolutely robbing' Ja'Marr Chase with no new deal

[Arkansas Bengal]

Dave Clark

Cincinnati Enquirer

 

 

 

ESPN "NFL Live" analysts Adam Schefter, Ryan Clark and Mike Tannenbaum discussed the Bengals' strategy in negotiating with star receiver Ja'Marr Chase, the day after Mina Kimes, Kevin Clark and Jeff Darlington wondered why team president and owner Mike Brown hasn't yet given Chase a contract extension after the former LSU star's first three impressive NFL seasons in Cincinnati.

"I'm gonna be pleased if it gets done so we retain his rights out into the future," Brown said Monday, per The Enquirer's Kelsey Conway. "The earlier the better. But he's a great player, and we know what he means to the team. He and his agent have an idea about that too."

 

Brown also told reporters "it's not so likely that this is a good time to negotiate" and "the offseason is a better time for that."

 

 

Chase, who is under contract through 2025, is scheduled to earn a roster bonus of more than $3.8 million later this week, per Spotrac.com.

 

"Listen, Mike Brown doesn't often talk to the media," Schefter said Tuesday on "NFL Live." "And I think that may be why right there. Because when you come out and speak like that, you're essentially saying, 'We're not close to a deal. And we don't expect to be doing one anytime soon though he is the next big contract we want to get done.' Okay. So they're not gonna get Ja'Marr Chase done. Ja'Marr Chase right now is scheduled to make just over $1 million this season. Now if you're Ja'Marr Chase, and you're advising him, why are you stepping on the football field for $1 million when there are other receivers making over $30 million? Now maybe I'm naive, and maybe he's just gonna step out there and play this season out for $1 million. Somehow, I don't see that going smoothly. Am I right? You think he's playing this year for $1 million and not doing anything?"

 

"Schefty, I've never heard you be more correct in my entire life," Clark said. "I didn't even think about those numbers. $1 million? When you look at someone like Justin Jefferson (who's) gonna get $110 (million) guaranteed. Amon-Ra St. Brown - who was a part of the same draft class - drafted in the fourth round, as opposed to Ja'Marr Chase being drafted fifth overall. Being able to do what he's done on the field? And now only making $1 million? You know what Mike Brown is essentially going to Ja'Marr Chase's house and doing? He's putting on a mask and saying, 'Put the money in the bag.' Because he is absolutely robbing him. And so if you're Ja'Marr Chase, you're going to have to make a decision. Am I willing to hold out to get my money, when we know a ton of times when you have that first-round pick, they wait until after the fourth year to pay the wide receiver. We saw the same thing with Justin Jefferson. We're now seeing it with CeeDee Lamb. Is Ja'Marr Chase willing to bet on himself and the Cincinnati Bengals that this will get done after this season?"

 

"Let me remind you that Bobby Bonilla, who hasn't played for the (New York) Mets in an awfully long time, is making more this year than Ja'Marr Chase," Schefter said. "One of the top wide receivers in all of football. Bobby Bonilla is making more than him. And again, we may see Ja'Marr Chase in Cincinnati at Bengals camp. We may see him there. But I think - and I don't think it's unreasonable to think this - that Ja'Marr Chase has some decisions to make about how he's going to attack this summer, how he's gonna attack this season. If that contract is left unadjusted and not addressed as Mike Brown is saying will be the case essentially, can't you just see us getting into the season? His hamstring's sore, his shoulder's sore. Whatever it may be, it is hard for me to imagine that Ja'Marr Chase is gonna play this full season making $1 million."

 

"When you're roughly $34 million below market value, I can't imagine there's any conversation that has him playing this season until there's at least some reasonable adjustment for this year, let alone the contract extension he should get. And I question the Bengals' strategy from this standpoint. If we … were having this conversation back right after the Super Bowl, around the Combine, you could see DeVonta Smith and all these other players from Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyreek Hill and all the way up to Justin Jefferson. They knew where the market was going. They cost themselves so much money. Maybe $6 to 8 million a year on a five-year deal. That's $40 million. If Cincinnati was more aggressive a few months ago, they should've had this deal done."

 

"And Mike Brown said the time to have this conversation is in the offseason," Schefter added. "We're coming off of months of the offseason. So did they not have the conversation? Did they not get the deal done at that point in time? The time to have that conversation was in the offseason. It's not next offseason. Now it hangs over everybody."

 

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2024/07/24/ryan-clark-espn-bengals-mike-brown-absolutely-robbing-jamarr-chase-2024-salary-no-contract-extension/74522756007/

[sparky151]

Chase's numbers so far have been below Jefferson's. I bet the Bengals would be willing to give Chase the Jefferson contract minus a million a year if it's tacked on to his rookie deal. That would give Ja'Marr a big signing bonus now, plus the 22 mil or so 5th year option then up to 135 mil for 2026-2030. 

 

That seems fair to both sides. 

[Dautcom08]

He's not making $1M.  JaMarr's cash out this year is $4.8M with a cumulative of $30.8M career to date (does not include the $21.8M 5th year, of which is 100% guaranteed, where he's very much most likely extended before playing on).

 

Ceedee Lamb's cash out last year was $2.5M.

 

Justin Jefferson's last year was $2.39M.

 

Why did they either step on the football field last season?  Jefferson was hurt twice and still is highest paid non-QB in NFL history months later.  Go away Lazy Schefty.

[AmishBengalFan]

The ESPN talking heads don't know shit about shit.

 

Chase's BASE salary is nearly identical to Jefferson and AJ Brown's.

 

Chase's BASE salary for 2024 is $1.055M.  He was paid $4.8M.  Another $4.9M for the prorated part of his $19.8M signing bonus = $9.8M cap hit

JJ's BASE salary for 2024 is $1.125M. 

Brown's BASE salary for 2024 is $1.125M.

 

BASE salary is only one part of the total compensation, buttheads.  Are you claiming Jefferson and Brown shouldn't walk on the field because of their paltry $1M salaries, because that's what you claim Chase should do.

 

These guys have just dropped to Florio-level of disingenuity

[AmishBengalFan]

I had to watch this, so you have to also.
But with corrections this time. pic.twitter.com/P4lFRlWEOY

— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) July 24, 2024

[dex]

Ben Baby isn't normally one of my go-to Bengals beat writers, but this might be the most important article he has ever written about the organization's contract approach during the Burrow championship window. Long and detailed, it is well worth a read imo.

 

 

[Griever]

2 hours ago, dex said:

Ben Baby isn't normally one of my go-to Bengals beat writers, but this might be the most important article he has ever written about the organization's contract approach during the Burrow championship window. Long and detailed, it is well worth a read imo.

 

 

Good read

[T-Dub]

7 hours ago, dex said:

Ben Baby isn't normally one of my go-to Bengals beat writers, but this might be the most important article he has ever written about the organization's contract approach during the Burrow championship window. Long and detailed, it is well worth a read imo.

 

 

 

Green Bay can get away with doing things differently.  The Brown-'Burns want to keep a SB window open and are fighting a lingering reputation for being cheap.  With a bunch of potential FA's in key positions this is another area where they're going to have to keep pace with the rest of the NFL.  They haven't drafted well enough to play hardball with agents who know better than anyone how much cap room they have available.  Keeping this team together will mean spending most of that & continuing to do so as the cap increases over the course of Burrow's contract.  Win a SB or 3 with him & that might change but for now they'll have to pay up.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

The writing is on the wall regarding Chase if you follow the Jefferson situation.  Jefferson played out the 4th year of his rookie contract and then got his massive new deal.  Nothing to date has happened to make me think it won’t play out that way for Chase.  The Bengals will have to bend (as they did with Burrow) in terms of guaranteed money and he’s going to probably get very similar value to what Jefferson got.  Calling it robbery to not pay him now is false and misleading, but that’s what gets clicks these days.  

[claptonrocks]

1 hour ago, Inigo Montoya said:

The writing is on the wall regarding Chase if you follow the Jefferson situation.  Jefferson played out the 4th year of his rookie contract and then got his massive new deal.  Nothing to date has happened to make me think it won’t play out that way for Chase.  The Bengals will have to bend (as they did with Burrow) in terms of guaranteed money and he’s going to probably get very similar value to what Jefferson got.  Calling it robbery to not pay him now is false and misleading, but that’s what gets clicks these days.  

Uncle Earl mentioned his holdout at LSU his senior year.

Why would he take the chance of injury before his deal?

Doubt he will.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

7 minutes ago, claptonrocks said:

Uncle Earl mentioned his holdout at LSU his senior year.

Why would he take the chance of injury before his deal?

Doubt he will.

 

Anything is possible but opting out in college is not the same as holding out while under contract.  It doesn’t mean he won’t do it, but the repercussions are not the same.  I think he might forfeit guaranteed money along with his contract tolling for a year.  Seems like Aiyuk and Lamb are more likely to refuse to play, IMO.

[T-Dub]

2 hours ago, Inigo Montoya said:

The writing is on the wall regarding Chase if you follow the Jefferson situation.  Jefferson played out the 4th year of his rookie contract and then got his massive new deal.  Nothing to date has happened to make me think it won’t play out that way for Chase.  The Bengals will have to bend (as they did with Burrow) in terms of guaranteed money and he’s going to probably get very similar value to what Jefferson got.  Calling it robbery to not pay him now is false and misleading, but that’s what gets clicks these days.  

 

Yeah no shit, I'm certain everyone here wouldn't mind being "robbed" for an extra mil in the bank.  I think I'm worth a billion dollars too but I wouldn't be mad about it.

 

Interesting how quickly the sports media have pivoted from "Bengals Suck" to "Bengals Were Good but Still Suck" and now "Bengals May Be Good but Can't Afford to Stay Good"

[sparky151]

20 hours ago, Inigo Montoya said:

Anything is possible but opting out in college is not the same as holding out while under contract.  It doesn’t mean he won’t do it, but the repercussions are not the same.  I think he might forfeit guaranteed money along with his contract tolling for a year.  Seems like Aiyuk and Lamb are more likely to refuse to play, IMO.

 

Yeah, if Chase held out this year he wouldn't be out just his 1 mil base salary, he'd also owe back his pro-rated signing bonus for the year, plus his roster bonus. So he'd get nothing this year and his contract would be extended by a season. 

[-GoBengals-]

1 hour ago, sparky151 said:

 

Yeah, if Chase held out this year he wouldn't be out just his 1 mil base salary, he'd also owe back his pro-rated signing bonus for the year, plus his roster bonus. So he'd get nothing this year and his contract would be extended by a season. 

 

yep, with all of the information so easily available for everyone, how is it the media and fans know so much less than they did before?

 

i skimmed the posts here, but have we talked about the fact that the SECOND the deal is signed, 100% of all garaunteed cash must be put in escrow from the bengals no matter when its paid out? so all that burrow money is in escrow, then chase would have to be, all guarantees from all 53 players, is it coaches too since all their deals are guaranteed? 

 

the bengals are the poorest ownership group in the NFL.  mike is worth about 900m, the richest, broncos owner, is worth what, 77 billion? i think mike is th eonly non billionaire owner. falling just shy.

 

bengals revenue was 500m in 2022, what cut of that was profit? if chase is looking for 5/160m id imagine 100m or more would have to go into escrow. stacked on joes, 150-200m already in there. 

 

revenue share covers salaries, but year to year, not forever into the future, so you have to have the secured money up front then get paid back with revenue share.

 

chase is due 20m next year, if he holds out the year and loses 10mil this year, and they cave and give him 30 next year, he breaks even... no point.

 

he has no leverage, and he gains nothing. even if he blows both MCL's he is getting top dollar, and he has insurance on himself.. 

 

anyone siding with chase as having some logic to stand on is either ignorant to thefacts of the matter or just wnts to trash the team. or mike.

[sparky151]

18 hours ago, GoBengals said:

 

yep, with all of the information so easily available for everyone, how is it the media and fans know so much less than they did before?

 

i skimmed the posts here, but have we talked about the fact that the SECOND the deal is signed, 100% of all garaunteed cash must be put in escrow from the bengals no matter when its paid out? so all that burrow money is in escrow, then chase would have to be, all guarantees from all 53 players, is it coaches too since all their deals are guaranteed? 

 

the bengals are the poorest ownership group in the NFL.  mike is worth about 900m, the richest, broncos owner, is worth what, 77 billion? i think mike is th eonly non billionaire owner. falling just shy.

 

bengals revenue was 500m in 2022, what cut of that was profit? if chase is looking for 5/160m id imagine 100m or more would have to go into escrow. stacked on joes, 150-200m already in there. 

 

revenue share covers salaries, but year to year, not forever into the future, so you have to have the secured money up front then get paid back with revenue share.

 

chase is due 20m next year, if he holds out the year and loses 10mil this year, and they cave and give him 30 next year, he breaks even... no point.

 

he has no leverage, and he gains nothing. even if he blows both MCL's he is getting top dollar, and he has insurance on himself.. 

 

anyone siding with chase as having some logic to stand on is either ignorant to thefacts of the matter or just wnts to trash the team. or mike.

 

You're referring to what the NFL calls the "funding rule".  It's used by owners to poormouth but it doesn't seem to actually be enforced. It originated in the early days of the league when franchises frequently failed, as a mechanism to hold down salaries. But when Watson got his 5 year guaranteed contract from the Clowns, media investigations found there was no money set aside in escrow anywhere. 

[T-Dub]

On 7/27/2024 at 5:47 AM, sparky151 said:

 

You're referring to what the NFL calls the "funding rule".  It's used by owners to poormouth but it doesn't seem to actually be enforced. It originated in the early days of the league when franchises frequently failed, as a mechanism to hold down salaries. But when Watson got his 5 year guaranteed contract from the Clowns, media investigations found there was no money set aside in escrow anywhere. 

 

 

Did they check under his bathrobe?

 

[-GoBengals-]

On 7/27/2024 at 6:47 AM, sparky151 said:

 

You're referring to what the NFL calls the "funding rule".  It's used by owners to poormouth but it doesn't seem to actually be enforced. It originated in the early days of the league when franchises frequently failed, as a mechanism to hold down salaries. But when Watson got his 5 year guaranteed contract from the Clowns, media investigations found there was no money set aside in escrow anywhere. 

 

this is interesting, its brought up in the deeper podcasts and discussion from media fairly regularly. if thats indeed the case, the bengals can do whatever..  is it possible that the bengals intend to follow said rules regardless of inforcement?

 

5 hours ago, T-Dub said:

 

 

Did they check under his bathrobe?

 

 

eewww..

[PatternMaster]

On 7/28/2024 at 10:15 PM, GoBengals said:

 

this is interesting, its brought up in the deeper podcasts and discussion from media fairly regularly. if thats indeed the case, the bengals can do whatever..  is it possible that the bengals intend to follow said rules regardless of inforcement?

 

 

Valid points but if that is the case then they should have seen this coming and planned accordingly, Mike Brown's negotiating tactic of not negotiating during the season is silly and if he was serious about this deal then he should have gotten one done months ago before Jefferson and St. Brown did their deals. 

 

Higgins and Boyd are not in the long-term future and Brown sold us all that Chase was the guy, so why not lock him up as soon as possible? 

[sparky151]

Because the Brown family has calculated they will save more money by making him play on his cheap rookie deal this year, and maybe even his 5th year option than by paying him. If he gets a new money average above 30 mil on his second contract, that's 25 mil more than he's making now for 2024. That money could go to the Brown family instead. Of course they want to keep Ja'Marr a Bengal and will pay him top money. When the time comes but they don't want that time to be now. 

[|BlackJesus|]

[T-Dub]

IDK if this was posted elsewhere but Chicago just gave DJ Moore $110m/4 years with $82M guaranteed. 

 

Yikes.  The longer the Bengals wait the more expensive Chase gets.

[PatternMaster]

If the Bengals loose Chase because of their bullshit penny pinching negotiating tactics they will lose a lot of fans...including me.

[sparky151]

11 hours ago, T-Dub said:

IDK if this was posted elsewhere but Chicago just gave DJ Moore $110m/4 years with $82M guaranteed. 

 

Yikes.  The longer the Bengals wait the more expensive Chase gets.

 

Moore's contract averages 27.5 on the new years. Chase was already asking for more than that so Moore's contract won't affect things in Cincy. 

[T-Dub]

5 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

 

Moore's contract averages 27.5 on the new years. Chase was already asking for more than that so Moore's contract won't affect things in Cincy. 

 

It's the guaranteed part that's rumored to be the holdup. Moore could irreparably blow out his knee in game one this year & then what? I don't think they should walk away with nothing in that scenario, but 80 mil?

[sparky151]

Moore had 2 years left on his current deal before signing the 4 year extension. So he's now under contract for the next 6 seasons. I imagine they just guaranteed his salaries for this year and next as part of the total.