The head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, Zac Taylor, spoke to the press on Wednesday following the absence of star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase from practice.

Chase is aiming for a contract extension and, although he showed up for training camp, he had not taken part in practice for over a month. He returned to practice on Sunday, but details about his level of participation remain unclear as it was a closed session.

After Chase’s return, Taylor expressed to local reporters his belief that Chase would be available for Cincinnati’s season opener against the New England Patriots on Sept. 8 and expected him to keep practicing.

However, when Chase showed up to practice 13 minutes late, without his uniform, and chose not to participate, it caught attention. Taylor now indicates that the situation with Chase is being handled on a “day-to-day” basis.

“I think it’s prudent for me to say we’ll evaluate it daily and see what happens tomorrow,” Taylor remarked. “I may have spoken too soon, and this is definitely a day-to-day situation.”

He reiterated that he doesn’t believe the ongoing contract issue will become a distraction in the Bengals’ locker room.

“It’s a unique situation that we need to manage, and we will continue to take it day-to-day,” he added.

Chase still has two years remaining on his rookie contract with the Bengals. As training camp began, the general feeling was that Cincinnati intends to keep Chase for the long haul, though negotiating a new deal ahead of this season may not be feasible.

Importantly, three receivers from Chase’s draft class secured extensions from their teams this offseason. Jaylen Waddle, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and DeVonta Smith all received new contracts. The situation became clearer for the Bengals when Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson set a new standard for wide receiver salaries, which illustrated what a new agreement for Chase might resemble.

This insight was further highlighted for the Bengals’ management when Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb received a new deal on Aug. 26, right before Chase missed another practice.

“I will be satisfied if we can finalize this to ensure we keep him for the future,” Brown stated on July 22. “The sooner, the better. He is an exceptional player, and we understand his significance to the team. He and his agent are also aware of this. Furthermore, the contracts of others influence what he seeks. Many factors complicate these negotiations. It’s challenging, but we are committed to keeping Ja’Marr Chase.”

Chase made a statement by arriving late to practice and opting out, just one day after his coach publicly expressed confidence about his readiness for Week 1 and continued practice.

What the future holds for both parties now remains uncertain.