What to know about Bengals picking up Ja'Marr Chase's fifth-year contract option

The Cincinnati Bengals announced on Wednesday they picked up star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase’s fifth-year option.

Chase, 24, is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract with the Bengals. By picking up Chase’s fifth-year option, it gives Cincinnati more time to reach a long-term deal with one of their best players.

Bengals director of personnel Duke Tobin said Chase is definitely in the Bengals’ “long-term plans.”

"We like Ja’Marr,” Tobin said at the Senior Bowl in January. “He’s in our long-term plans. He’s shown that he is a high-level player in this league."

How Ja'Marr Chase's rookie contract works

The fifth-year option on rookie contracts gives teams the choice to extend that deal from four years to five. It is most often used when a team wants to ensure their first-round pick remains on the team for at least one more season while allowing negotiations to continue. The fifth-year option number cannot be discussed or negotiated by a team – it’s a set number. A typical deal for a player who is drafted is four years when they enter the league. Only first-round picks are given a fifth-year option.

This prevents Chase from becoming a free agent next March if he and the Bengals don’t come to an agreement on a long-term deal before then. As of March, the Bengals and Chase had yet to begin contract negotiation process.

“We haven't started,” executive vice president Katie Blackburn said at NFL meetings this spring. “That's sort of the next thing is just to piece together some of those things to consider and give it some thought. And like I said, I can't say for sure where any of it will go. But we certainly are going to study up on it and see what we can figure out to try to get the best result we can for the club one way or another.”

Does Justin Jefferson affect Ja'Marr Chase's contract situation?

Chase openly said he is waiting to see the deal that his former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson gets before his deal. Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings have yet to reach a long-term extension. Jefferson’s contract is likely to reset the wide receiver market when it’s all said and done. Until that deal is in place, there’s no real starting place for the Bengals and Chase. When that domino falls, expect the Bengals and Chase to begin the negotiation process.

In three seasons with the Bengals, Chase has 268 passes for 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals pick up Ja'Marr Chase fifth-year option on rookie contract