Ja’Marr Chase inching closer to his lofty goals for 2021 season
Ja’Marr Chase has been one of the most impressive rookies so far this season. The Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver — who was taken fifth overall — has shattered the narrative that he wasn’t worth taking in the top five.
Through 10 games, Chase has totaled 47 receptions for 867 yards and eight touchdowns, leading the rookie receivers in yardage and sitting sixth total in receiving yards throughout the league. He’s also tied for third in touchdowns.
While Chase has recently been bumped from the oddsmaker’s favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, per WynnBET, he’s still close to on pace to the goals he set for himself before the season began.
During Chase’s Wednesday press conference, he mentioned his goals that are currently on sticky notes. On those notes, Chase has 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns as what he’d like to obtain this year.
Ja'Marr Chase says his goals that are on sticky notes, 1,500 rec. yards and 12 TDs in specific, are still on his mirrors are reminders for him.
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) November 24, 2021
Making the Pro Bowl was not one, however. He never really thought about it.
Ja’Marr Chase wants to finish the year with 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The touchdown total is doable, as the rookie currently has eight trips into the end zone through 10 games. There are seven games remaining in the 2021 season and Chase needs just four scores to reach his goal. He’s found the end zone in all but three games this season, so getting to 12 touchdowns should be doable for the LSU product.
As for the 1,500 yards, that might be difficult to reach. The rookie should easily get past 1,000 yards but 1,500 is another story. The most recent wide receiver to go for over 1,500 was Michael Thomas of the Saints, going for over 1,700 in the 2019 season. This shows how difficult it is to do.
Not only has Chase’s production slowed down in recent weeks as teams have started to double-team him more but there’s no shortage of weapons in Cincinnati. The LSU rookie has to compete with Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon, and C.J. Uzomah for targets and that’s also going to cut in on him potentially reaching his goals.
When the 2021 season is in the books, Ja’Marr Chase will go down as one of the best rookie wide receivers of all-time and that’s huge. For him, however, it might not be enough.