Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow know each other better than the typical NFL quarterback and wide receiver tandem. Burrow spoke to the media on Wednesday and had a positive Chase update that will be appreciated by fans and fantasy owners.

Chase returned to practice, having been absent since the start of training camp amid a contract dispute. Burrow declared his favorite target “ready to go” after practicing alongside his former LSU teammate.

“I saw him out there today,” Burrow said. “He looks fast, strong, like he always does. I know he’s been doing what he needs to do to stay ready, if he needs to be ready. I’m confident that if he does go out there Sunday he’ll be the Ja’Marr we all know.”

Chase had long been out of practice amid a contract dispute. The standout wide receiver is set to make $1.055 million in base salary, Cincinnati has also exercised the club option for a 5th season at $21.816 million.

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Chase, though, feels he is owed more. The first-round wideout reportedly wants to dethrone fellow former Tiger Justin Jefferson as the highest-paid non-QB. Jefferson signed a 4-year deal worth $140 million with $100 million guaranteed.

Even though Chase is an unknown for the Week 1 lineup, Burrow calls the wide receiver a team-first teammate.

“He’s always been a team-first, win-first kind of guy. That’s the kind of guy Ja’Marr is, and you want to reward those guys,” Burrow said.

Burrow and the Bengals face the New England Patriots at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. We’ll see if Chase is part of the linuep, or if he will sit out without a new contract.