AFC Notes: Ja’Marr Chase, Nick Chubb, Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase said upfront guarantees were the most important part of the deal to him, but the Bengals have a policy of not guaranteeing money past the first year of a contract. Chase stopped short of saying he wanted guaranteed money into the second year of his deal when pressed by a reporter. 

“You’re going a little too far now, buddy,” Chase said, via ESPN. “I gave you a little spice. Don’t take all of it.”

Bengals LB Germaine Pratt said the team refuses to guarantee money beyond the first year of a deal.

“Everybody wants the up-front money, but they want something in Year 2, too,” Pratt said. “(If) somebody has a down year after they got a contract or whatever the case may be, you still want some security about playing football. But unfortunately, the Bengals don’t do it, unless you’re a quarterback.”

Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin said there are a few aspects in negotiating contracts the team will concede on and others they won’t.

“It’s a negotiation for a reason,” Tobin said. “You have to negotiate. Some things we will do. Some things we won’t. Some things we don’t do very often.”

Tobin called Chase a “rare player” and said they would do everything in their power to re-sign him.

“We’re aware of the numbers,” Tobin said. “We’re aware what other players have and we’re also aware of what we feel is right in what we can do with our team and what makes sense for us going forward.”

Browns

Browns HC Kevin Stefanski gave an update on the status of RB Nick Chubb when speaking with reporters at the start of training camp.

“I’m not going to speculate on that part of it other than to say I’ve seen him run and seen him work out and he’s right where he needs to be,” Stefanski said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “As we’ve talked about all along, he’s attacking this rehab, he’s in early, staying late. I give a lot of credit to Nick, give a lot of credit to our medical team that are bringing him along, but we’re not going to worry about much past today with that.”

Steelers

Steelers DL Cameron Heyward is seeking a new deal to remain in Pittsburgh after 13 seasons with the team. Heyward wants to remain with the Steelers for the rest of his career but is taking it one year at a time.

“Am I confident?” Heyward said, via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I don’t like to go either way with that because you get your hopes up and something doesn’t happen. I’m just going to focus on being the best player I can be. This team needs my leadership and production and I look forward to doing it.”

“It’s my goal, but not everybody thinks like that. I want to be here, but there’s a lot of football to be played — this season and a couple of seasons. But I can’t control that. I can only focus on what’s in front of me.”