Insider suggests Bengals' Week 2 opponent provides leverage for Ja'Marr Chase in pursuit of new contract

Ja’Marr Chase has not practiced with the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason as he seeks a new contract, and the star wide receiver might be holding onto one intriguing piece of leverage in negotiations.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter spoke about Chase’s hold-in during a Tuesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” While Schefter said he believes the Bengals will ultimately sign Chase to a new deal, he raised an interesting point about how Cincinnati’s early-season schedule might work to Chase’s advantage.

The Bengals open the season on Sunday at home against the New England Patriots. Since the Patriots are projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL, the Bengals probably will not need Chase to secure a victory. As Schefter notes, the same might not be true for Cincinnati’s Week 2 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“The truth of the matter is they should be able to handle New England at home. The key thing here is that the Bengals play the Chiefs next week, in Week 2, and that becomes, to me, a real leverage point for Ja’Marr Chase,” Schefter said. “Because if somehow, someway, he’s still not practicing and not playing in that game, against that team, that impacts your ability in a game that could very well have seeding ramifications later in the season.”