‘We’re finally getting as much credit as we’re supposed to’: With Joe Burrow out, Ja'Marr Chase's receiver payday theory ready for test
When the pronouncement came at the NFL scouting combine in February, it was bold.
Cincinnati Bengals de facto general manager Duke Tobin was discussing an impending extension for wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. And rather than play coy or cautious about the Brinks truck headed for the receiving triple crown winner, Tobin laid his plans out bare.
Ja'Marr is always going to be our priority," Tobin said Feb. 25. He's going to end up being the No. 1 paid non-QB in the league. We're there. Let's get it done."
That Chase would command a hefty contract should have surprised nobody. His 127 receptions, 1,708 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns last season all led the NFL. Top-tier production has been the rule rather than exception for the fifth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
But the Bengals' willingness to say aloud they'd reset the market surprised some in the league who believe in withholding a greater degree of negotiating leverage.
Chase, meanwhile, understood. He believed this was in part about his value to his team and in part about the value of the receiver position he plays.
So when the Bengals awarded Chase a four-year, $161 million extension with $112 million guaranteed 19 days after Tobin's remarks, the reality of a $40 million receiver delighted but did not shock the man himself.
Chase's interpretation of the payday: Receivers matter.
It shows how much we are needed on the field at the end of the day and how much playmaking we do," he told Yahoo Sports during training camp. I think we're finally getting as much credit as we're supposed to.
And it's only the beginning of it."
[Get more Bengals news: Cincinnati team feed]
Chase's chance to show how much credit he deserves escalated last weekend when Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a toe turf injury that will require surgery and an expected three-plus-month sidelining. Burrow's return this season is in jeopardy.
The Bengals will rely even more on Chase now as Jake Browning takes over. The seventh-year undrafted quarterback doesn't take his cast for granted.
We've got a lot of guys who have been in the system for a long time, including myself," Browning told reporters this week. So [I] feel pretty good about that and feel fortunate to be taking over an offense that does have a lot of weapons."
When a second-quarter sack left Burrow on the ground last Sunday, a frustrating feeling of familiarity descended over the Bengals.
Not again.
Not another injury for the quarterback who tore his ACL and MCL as a rookie; not another injury for the quarterback who dislocated his pinky in his second pro season, and strained his calf and tore a ligament in his wrist Year 4. The list goes on.
But for a franchise so desperate to kick September slow starts that it changed training camp practices from afternoon to morning as a let's-get-moving microcosm, the Bengals also had reason to believe their record wasn't destined to be garbage.
Their second-string quarterback in Browning started seven games and played in nine in 2023 due to Burrow's torn wrist ligament. He completed a league-best 70.4% of his 243 attempts, throwing for 1,936 yards and 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions as the Bengals won four of the seven games he started.
Browning's top target that season: Chase.
The duo connected on 69.8% of targets for 385 yards, two touchdowns and 17 first downs. The Bengals believe there can be carryover.
Execution breeds a lot of confidence," Browning told reporters this week. So my main goal is to execute well, play fast, make fast decisions and be decisive.
Try to help us win."
In 48 snaps last weekend, Browning wasn't flawless but finished what Burrow started to get the win against Jacksonville. Browning completed 21 of 32 pass attempts for 241 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.
His target on a third of attempts and nearly half his completions: Chase.
Chase caught 10 of 11 passes from Browning for 128 yards after helping keep the Bengals competitive with 37 more yards and a touchdown during Burrow's action.
The diversity of Browning and Chase's 10 connections reflect how they can stress opponents and thwart matchups.
Browning tossed to Chase for 7 yards on a jet sweep for their first connection and found him on a 14-yard in-breaking route the next. He hit Chase down the left sideline and the right, in short, intermediate and deep range. Even their pair of 25-yard plays varied: Chase caught the first behind the line of scrimmage before picking up 28 yards after the catch down the left sideline. The next time, all 25 yards came courtesy Browning air yards.
The Bengals trailed for more than half the game, and did not lead at all in the first 59 minutes of game play.
But on a 15-play, 92-yard drive featuring two Chase catches and a Browning 1-yard rushing touchdown, the Bengals edged the Jaguars 31-27 with 19 seconds to play. They held on to win and improve to 2-0.
Chase wasn't the only weapon aiding the victory, but his 165-yard output nearly tripled the next-closest contributor.
A player of that caliber, it helps a ton because they can fix an errant throw, they can make plays in contested situations and in Ja'Marr's case especially, he can generate explosives on a high-efficiency throw or a low-risk throw," an NFC executive told Yahoo Sports. He's a player [who] other teams have to account for. That dictates how they can defend you, too.
So yeah, it's all helpful."
Chase's instincts, atop his skills, give Bengals confidenceNFL offenses do not look forward to playing the Minnesota Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
His constantly shifting game plans routinely confuse opponents, Vikings defenders' sound fundamentals and bevy of disguises liable to give quarterbacks nightmares.
They kind of run it like an offense where they'll come to the line with a couple different calls [and] want to get the perfect call," Browning said. They change a lot game to game."
Luckily for Browning, his cast including Chase can, too.
Bengals coaches and players credit Chase not only for his physical gifts but also for his preparation. It's not uncommon for him to still be honing his craft or fitness long after teammates showered off practice and headed to lunch. Chase studies his own skills and game plans, but also those of defenses - regularly picking the mind of Bengals secondary/cornerbacks coach Charles Burks to better understand safety disguises and how to outwit defenses.
Ja'Marr has the same innate sense when it comes to staying open when he's already open," offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher told Yahoo Sports. So instead of running through the window, he's able to kind of feel it and shut it down.
There's a million [plays] where his speed, strength, hands, all that shows shows. But there's plenty where his instincts show as well."
The Bengals used Chase's production, as well as the defensive attention he commands, to outlast Flores and the Vikings in a 2023 overtime win led by Browning.
They'll hope to run that result back in Minnesota on Sunday against a Vikings team also fielding its second-string quarterback in Carson Wentz.
Improving to 3-0 would keep the Bengals in first place of the AFC North after the Baltimore Ravens lost a Week 1 thriller to the Buffalo Bills.
Lose to the Vikings, and Baltimore would have the chance Monday against the Detroit Lions to join Cincinnati atop the division.
Chase's production alone won't be sufficient to score a win but it will almost certainly be necessary.
The Bengals knew that when they paid him nearly-quarterback money in March, and they're eager to see the returns on their investment.
Chase is eager to show Tobin his proclamations were warranted.
At the end of the day, that means he trusts me," Chase said. The organization trusts me, they believe in me and they expect a lot of high expectations from me."