Ja’Marr Chase chose not to extend his dispute with the Cincinnati Bengals right up to the last moment.

The talented wide receiver, who has made three Pro Bowl appearances, opted to play in the Bengals’ season opener against the New England Patriots, even though his contract extension talks remain unsettled. He was listed as questionable for the game after being added to the injury report due to an illness on Saturday. If Chase had been unable to play, quarterback Joe Burrow would have been missing both of his top targets, as Tee Higgins was ruled out with a hamstring issue.

Here’s the latest on Chase’s status leading up to Sunday:

Ja’Marr Chase news: Updates on contract situation and Week 1 status

Chase is confirmed to start for the Bengals on Sunday.

Initially, Chase’s playing status was uncertain as of Saturday evening, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. However, there were no expectations for a contract extension before the game, even though Chase stated on Friday that he felt both parties were “pretty close” to an agreement.

By Saturday, though, the Bengals were leaning toward having Chase play, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported.

Chase engaged in his typical pre-game routine, which included catching tennis balls close-up during warmups.

On Friday, Chase mentioned it would ultimately be up to him to decide whether he would participate on Sunday. Despite being a hold-in for the duration of training camp, he practiced from Wednesday to Friday, indicating he had made progress in the discussions regarding his contract.

Chase still has two years left on his rookie contract and is looking for a pay increase following a summer where the wide receiver market saw new benchmarks set. Six wide receivers secured deals averaging over $30 million annually, with Justin Jefferson from the Minnesota Vikings (four years, $140 million) and CeeDee Lamb from the Dallas Cowboys (four years, $136 million) leading the pack.

Chase disputed rumors suggesting he wanted to surpass Jefferson’s contract by even a penny, saying, “If I want to beat Justin, I’m gonna beat the (expletive) out of Justin, not by a penny, brother.”

In the event Chase plays, he acknowledged he might have some limitations.

Nevertheless, Burrow expressed confidence in Chase’s ability to perform well, regardless of his limited practice time. “I know he’s been doing what he needs to do to stay ready if he needs to be ready,” Burrow said on Wednesday. “I trust that if he steps onto the field on Sunday, he’ll be the Ja’Marr we all recognize.”