A fascinating trade proposal has the Cincinnati Bengals sending Ja’Marr Chase to an NFC team in a move that would create one of the most unstoppable NFL duos ever.
Ja’Marr Chase is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract, but the No. 5 pick of 2021 is holding out with the hope of getting a lucrative extension before Week 1 arrives. Seeing how the WR market has played out this offseason, Chase is sure to land a new deal well over $100 million.
But what if it doesn’t come from the Bengals, who have been notoriously budget-conscious under owner Mike Brown? What if another team came forward with an offer that Cincinnati wouldn’t be able to refuse?
The FanDuel sportsbook X/Twitter account proposed a blockbuster trade idea that would see the Bengals sending Chase to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for wide receiver Jordan Addison, a 2025 first round-pick and a 2026-second round selection:
We know Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson look good in purple & white 😤
Should the Bengals and Vikings do this trade to reunite the two LSU WRs? 🤔#RuleTheJungle | #SKOL pic.twitter.com/XjLtAKDG9k
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) July 31, 2024
In this scenario, Chase would reunite with old LSU teammate Justin Jefferson. JJ has cemented himself as the best wide receiver in football, and Chase is arguably No. 2 behind his ex-Tigers pal.
Chase bobbled it but still made the catch 😳
📺: #CINvsJAX on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/JZL7uE8ZOm pic.twitter.com/vSnmTzvPt6— NFL (@NFL) December 5, 2023
In trading for Ja’Marr Chase, the Vikings would have two of the league’s most explosive and dynamic receivers. Regardless of who their quarterback is (JJ McCarthy or Sam Darnold), the offense would be practically unstoppable with a Jefferson-Chase-TJ Hockenson pass-catching trio.
There’s speculation that the Vikings may move on from Addison following his DUI arrest that resulted in two misdemeanor charges. The second-year wideout is expected to receive a multi-game suspension for the incident.
Addison would be a quality return for the Bengals in this hypothetical trade. But of course, the Bengals’ hope is to get their franchise receiver under contract long-term, so don’t get too excited about the possibility of a trade just yet.
Bengals Need To Extend Ja’Marr Chase
Unless the Bengals are getting someone like CeeDee Lamb or Justin Jefferson (spoiler alert: they’re not) in a return for Ja’Marr Chase, the front office’s best bet is to just pay him what he wants. Chase and Joe Burrow alone keep the Bengals in Super Bowl contention and replacing the former is much easier said than done.
