Bengals fans lose it over Ja'Marr Chase's reported illness ahead of Patriots clash - "He's sick of not being paid"

Ja'Marr Chase has been holding out for quite some time now, having seen his peers get monstrous contract extensions and deciding that he wants his own. Now, his absence may grow longer.

On Saturday, Ben Baby, ESPN's insider for the Cincinnati Bengals, reported that the elite wide receiver had contracted an undisclosed illness, making him questionable for tomorrow's game against the New England Patriots.

As soon as that status update hit, fans started making assumptions and jokes.

"He's sick of not being paid," a fan said.

More of the ridicule can be seen below.

"New contract is the cure," one said.

"He will probably be questionable most of the year," another said.

"Send him home. He has 2 years left on contract," another suggested.

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Bengals icon believes Ja'Marr Chase will be extended before Sunday's opener vs. Patriots

The question, however, remains: Will Ja'Marr Chase be extended?

In Friday's Nightcap podcast, iconic former Bengals wide receiver Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson told co-host Shannon Sharpe that he believed the former Offensive Rookie of the Year would receive his long-term extension just before Sunday's game.

"A little birdie told me it's probably going to get done before kickoff."

Chase, however, has a different perspective. Speaking to ESPN on Friday, he claimed that playing on Sunday was his decision and that the deadline to extend his contract might have passed as far as he was concerned.

"It's a small chance, but who knows what'll happen then, these next couple hours?"

When asked about the reports that he wanted to top former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson, he responded:

"If I want to beat Justin, I'm gonna beat the s--- out of Justin. Not by a penny, brother."

So, what will the contract look like if he is extended?

He refused to give away too much information.

"I mean, nothing really changed. Justin and CeeDee [Lamb] set the market. The market's been set. It's written for me, not me writing it. I'm not going to give you word for word, but some of it."

Should Chase be extended in the coming hours, there will be precedent. Just hours before the previous season kicked off, the Bengals gave Joe Burrow a five-year, $275-million extension, the largest in NFL history by annual average.