Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is already living the life, having made his way into the NFL—an achievement not many get to realize. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, which translated to a four-year, $30.8 million contract, $19 million of which he received upon signing. Having earned nothing from NIL, this was the first big check he received, and it opened the doors he had been waiting for his whole life.
Advertisement
With an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award under his belt, Chase sat down with GQ Sports in 2022 to discuss how he spent the first million of his paycheck. The star wideout started earning from a snowball stand in his home state of Louisiana, so even $1 million out of his $19 million (excluding taxes) was enough to make life easier for both him and his family.
The first thing Chase bought with his money was a car for his mother. “That was about $65K, got her a Mazzi,” he recalled. His father had reached out to let him know his mother was struggling with her current car (an Audi), which was having issues with the airflow inside. So, Chase crossed off the most important item on his long to-do list: getting his mother a good car.
As the rookie wide receiver explained:
“It was like a midnight black with red interior Mazzi”
Chase spent another $50k on jewelry. “Got me some grills, chain, watch, couple bust downs,” he continued. The former LSU player then splurged another $50K to fill his wardrobe with swanky clothes. “Had to start coming with that drip, that sauce, that melon, that swag,” he explained.
“I’ve got some Off-White G Nikes, the Trophy Room 5s. I’ve got some real limited-edition kicks… That’s just some stuff I always wanted so I had to go get that.”
Chase spent about a grand on his tattoos, emphasizing that he believes tattoos should be unique and not copied. For his grandmother, he got her birthday, the Last Supper, symbols of loyalty and betrayal, and a tattoo over his ribs.
The three-time Pro Bowler then spent another $50K on his brothers and sister ($15K each), aiming to help them with their everyday needs and provide some extra for savings. He could have splurged much more, but Chase was concerned it might lead to poor decisions.
For his debut year, Chase also had to cover the cost of rookie dinners every time the Bengals played a game. Since he played all 17 games, the total expense amounted to $20K. But that’s not all.
Chase spent $100k on the family house and a lot more on his dream car
Chase’s mother, Toleah Chase, didn’t actually own her house before he made it to the NFL. She had been living there for six to seven years, making numerous adjustments and repairing damage from two hurricanes.
Toleah wanted to own the house, and Chase made it happen by fully paying off the mortgage with $100K. Now, it’s the family home where Chase and his siblings can hang out.
That being said, out of all the personal expenses and costs for his family, Chase spent the most on his car. “I got me something good to ride good around in. Got my dream car, a Wraith RR (Rolse Royce),” the wideout said.
It left a $300K dent in Chase’s wallet, which included modifications like orange interior seats and fur carpet, among other things. “I’ve been wanting that car my whole life, honestly,” he continued.
So, in total, Chase spent exactly $631K, with the rest ($369k) going to savings. It’s quite heartening that the wideout made the smart decision to save a third of this amount for a rainy day. He mentioned this as well, saying that no one knows when he or his friends or family might need it.
