Shortly after the Cincinnati Bengals fell to 4-7 via this past Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase raised some eyebrows when he seemed to call out head coach Zac Taylor for the fact that the club has suffered six one-possession defeats this season.
Taylor defended Chase while speaking with reporters on Tuesday.
"I don't ever hold it against a player when they're after a game having an emotional response," Taylor said, as shared by Ben Baby of ESPN. "We'll just continue to move forward as a team, but love working with him. Thankful that he's on our team."
Interestingly, ESPN NFL insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano subsequently touched upon Chase's long-term future for a piece published Wednesday. Fowler noted that Chase "is well-positioned to" receive a contract worth more than the four-year, $140M extension that Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson signed this past offseason.
While Fowler added that "the feeling here is Cincinnati lets (receiver) Tee Higgins walk in free agency and allocates resources for Chase," Graziano mentioned that the Bengals could decide early in the upcoming offseason that they're willing to trade the three-time Pro Bowl selection.
Chase is undeniably one of the best overall players at his position, but it shouldn't be forgotten that the Bengals have quarterback Joe Burrow locked down on an expensive deal and will need to spend money on more than just another offensive star to compete with the conference's best teams.
It's possible Cincinnati could save some cash by paying Higgins and making Chase, who isn't eligible for free agency until 2026, available to other clubs before next year's draft.
Some can't help but wonder if Chase hinted with his comments that he may not love his situation in Cincinnati, but Taylor insisted he has a great relationship with the 24-year-old.
"We all want to win," Taylor added on Tuesday. "You put a lot of pressure on yourself. And when you don't [win], it can lead to frustration. But, feel very confident we're on the same page and we'll be good going forward."
The Bengals are on their bye and don't play again until they host the rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 1. 8-2 Pittsburgh plays at the 2-8 Cleveland Browns this Thursday night.
