Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is back to work.
Chase practiced today for the first time in training camp, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Although Chase does not have a new contract, his decision to end his “hold-in” would seem to indicate that he’s ready to go for Week One, when the Bengals open the season against the Patriots two weeks from today.
Chase is entering the fourth season of his initial four-year, $30.8 million rookie contract, which has been a bargain for the Bengals because Chase has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He gets a significant pay bump next year, when his fifth-year option salary is $21.8 million, but that still makes him underpaid.
Whether Chase gets a new deal or not, his return to practice suggests he’ll be there when the games count.