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The Cincinnati Bengals received news on Ja'Marr Chase

The Cincinnati Bengals will enter the 2026 season with about as much excitement and hype as any other NFL team.

After three straight seasons of missing the postseason, the Bengals were aggressive this offseason as they boosted the roster, headlined by the blockbuster trade that landed them three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence.

While the team still has question marks at several positions, particularly at linebacker, the overall outlook of the roster appears to be much improved. Unfortunately, the Bengals coaching staff will not get a chance to look at the entire roster practice together until mandatory minicamp on June 16.

Ja’Marr Chase Absent From Cincinnati Bengals Workouts

Bengals Wire’s Chris Roling noted that Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was absent from the team’s voluntary workouts. Roling wrote:
“Chase has been absent from voluntary workouts this week with the Bengals. But as far as anyone can tell, it’s a simple matter of training preference.”

Regarding Chase’s absence, WLWT’s Charlie Clifford wrote:

“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).

Over the past 15+ years, this isn’t uncommon among franchise cornerstone players — specifically wide receivers, pass rushers, and quarterbacks. That was Ndamukong Suh’s decision early in his All-Pro career and more recently, Lamar Jackson has notably chosen to skip workout bonus money in favor of training off-site.”

Ramifications of Chase’s Absence

This is not the first time Chase has skipped portions of the team’s offseason program, as he sat out the team’s training camp and preseason in 2024 while seeking a new contract with the team. Despite not landing an extension that offseason, Chase was ready for the start of the season and had the best season of his career, where he led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

After a four-year, $161 million contract extension last offseason, Chase’s absence likely does not have anything to do with his contract status. Evidenced by his strong 2024 season, Chase can still perform at a high level even while missing portions of the team’s offseason program. Additionally, unlike other teams around the league, Chase does not need to build rapport with his quarterback, as he and Joe Burrow have now played together across seven seasons between college football and the NFL.

Regarding the ramifications, Chris Roling wrote:

“Not a big deal, really, but it is a departure from normal operating procedure for Chase. Even so, it’s not uncommon for specialists at certain positions to no thanks the possible bonus money for attending voluntaries while focusing on positional stuff away from the team this time of year.”

Bengals rookie Colbie Young recently expressed his excitement for playing with Chase for the first time. He said, “I think I got one of the blessings of a receiver, probably the best drafted situation, where you got two of the top guys, who they’re going to get coverages that people got to focus on them and give me great opportunities for myself to win and have an amazing quarterback who can put it anywhere.” Young will have to wait until mandatory minicamp to experience playing behind Chase.