Ja'Marr Chase: If I want to beat Justin Jefferson, I want to beat him up

While Ja'Marr Chase is in contract negotiations with the Bengals, rumors are circulating that he wants to ask for a penny more on his next contract than the record-breaking contract his friend and former college teammate Justin Jefferson received from the Vikings earlier this year.

Chase dispelled that notion in a conversation with the media on Friday.

“If I want to beat Justin, I want beat up Justin,” Chase said of Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, drawing laughter from the assembled media. “Not a penny, brother.”

That doesn't mean, however, that Chase wants to reshape the market in an unusual way.

“I'm not really trying to get much higher,” Chase said. “I'm not trying to beat him, I'm trying to go crazy. It's just about what's right.”

“It’s about longevity.”

Chase said he believed the two sides were “pretty close” on an agreement, but he would like to end negotiations on Sunday. Chase said it would likely be decided during the game whether he will play if there is no agreement.