Ja’Marr Chase has been “holding in,” which means he has been attending Cincinnati Bengals practices dressed in street clothes and not actively participating.
On Tuesday, Chase made an appearance at practice, which gave Bengals fans a glimmer of hope. Head coach Zac Taylor spoke positively about Chase’s return, suggesting he would continue to practice throughout the week. However, it seems Taylor’s optimistic comments might have been premature. Chase showed up 13 minutes late to Wednesday’s practice, once again dressed in street clothes.
Ja’Marr Chase just got to practice 13 minutes after it started in street clothes. It appears he isn’t practicing today a day after Zac Taylor said he was going to continue to practice pic.twitter.com/FrVSBL4Wwv
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) August 28, 2024
In a subsequent ESPN article, Taylor admitted that he might have spoken too soon about Chase’s continued participation and potential readiness for the Bengals’ Week 1 game against the New England Patriots. “I think every day is a new day,” Taylor said on Wednesday. “We’ll keep working through it. Not going to make predictions on what tomorrow brings. I think I probably put my foot in my mouth speaking too quickly. Again, this is a day-to-day situation. We’ll just keep seeing it as that. At the end of the day, Ja’Marr’s a great dude that means a lot to this team, and we’ll just continue to take it day to day.”
Ja’Marr Chase just got to practice 13 minutes after it started in street clothes. It appears he isn’t practicing today a day after Zac Taylor said he was going to continue to practice pic.twitter.com/FrVSBL4Wwv
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) August 28, 2024
The situation has led to some frustration among Bengals fans. Some are displeased with the team’s management for not meeting Chase’s contract demands, given his importance to the franchise. Others feel Chase is being too aggressive in his negotiations, especially considering he still has two years remaining on his contract. This discontent is exacerbated by the approaching season and the uncertainty surrounding Chase’s participation.
Ja’Marr Chase just got to practice 13 minutes after it started in street clothes. It appears he isn’t practicing today a day after Zac Taylor said he was going to continue to practice pic.twitter.com/FrVSBL4Wwv
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) August 28, 2024
Additionally, there are concerns that Chase’s continued absence could lead to another sluggish start for the Bengals, who have begun four of the last five seasons with a 0-2 record. Such slow starts have impacted their postseason performance. If Chase isn’t fully integrated with his teammates due to his “holding in” strategy, it could affect the team’s performance early in the season.