Zac Taylor refuses to pat himself on the back.
The current head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals knows good and well that he’s received his fair share of praise for what wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has done in his first year in the NFL.
Just about every rookie receiving record has crumbled at his feet. Chase now holds the record for the most receiving yards in a season for a rookie with 1,455, the most receiving yards in a single game by a rookie with 266, and he also became the first rookie receiver to record multiple 100 yard receiving yards in the postseason.
The first time Pro Bowler did it all this year and as a result, he’s played a huge part in the Bengals playing in the Super Bowl this coming Sunday. While Taylor continues to be lauded for placing the immensely talented receiver in ideal situations, he refuses to take any credit. In his opinion, it didn’t matter who took Chase in the 2021 NFL Draft, he was going to ball out regardless.
On Ja'Marr Chase: "No matter what team drafted Ja'Marr, he would have had a ton of success this year. But his relationship with Joe has allowed him to maximize his opportunity in Year 1. They didn't go through that getting to know you process.
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) February 7, 2022
“No matter what team drafted Ja’Marr, he would have had a ton of success this year,” said Taylor during a recent press conference.
Burrow’s connection with Chase has been key
If anyone should be given credit in Taylor’s view, it should be quarterback Joe Burrow. The numbers the second-year signal-caller has put up have been insane. The former number one overall pick threw for 4,611 yards, 34 touchdowns, and led the league in completion percentage at 70.4%. If you thought those numbers were impressive, check out what they did in college.
Burrow cruised to the Heisman Trophy after throwing for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns, only six interceptions, and a completion percentage of 76.3%. Chase was just as great during that 2019 season. He grabbed 84 balls for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns as they smoked the competition on their way to winning a National Championship.
Thanks to those memories on the college turf, Taylor is convinced that Burrow, not himself, should be viewed as one of the primary reasons why Chase excelled in his rookie season.
“His relationship with Joe has allowed him to maximize his opportunity in year one,” continued Taylor. “They didn’t go through that getting to know you process.”