The Cincinnati Bengals are poised to roar back to the playoffs this coming season, and the driving force behind their success figures to be the dynamic duo of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase.
As teammates at LSU, Burrow and Chase led the Tigers to a national championship. They then spearheaded the Bengals to a Super Bowl LVI and the subsequent AFC title game in their first two NFL seasons together.
Although Burrow played at an MVP level during Chase's Triple Crown-winning 2024 campaign, Cincinnati only managed a 9-8 record.
Armed with a superior defense this year and continued individual improvement, Burrow and Chase could very well produce an unprecedented single season of output.
Could Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase make history with second Triple Crown season?
When these are the types of questions posed about a player, you know they're on a legendary track. Chase amassed 127 receptions, 1,708 yards and 17 TDs two seasons ago. It's hard to fathom he could top that. Then again, just as doubters seemingly fail to recognize Burrow's own continued progress as a pro, Chase has only gotten better with time as he keeps honing his craft.
In an interview with noted Bengals fan and ball knower Kay Adams, seven-time Pro Bowl wideout Torry Holt named Chase as the most likely candidate to break Calvin Johnson's single-season record of 1,964 receiving yards:
"That is a lot of yards, and you look at this list [of] who could...Jefferson, JSN, Pickens. I mean, they all are certainly capable of doing it. If I had to guess, with a healthy Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, I think, would be first, then I will go with JSN because he's just so good."
Ja'Marr Chase 2K??????
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) June 17, 2026
Torry Holt says yessss @Bengals pic.twitter.com/Ndn7MDFZmY
Why buy into this? Well, for one, Chase's trainer has said that he doesn't believe the superstar has reached his athletic peak yet. There are also no glaring weaknesses in the 26-year-old's game.
Whether it's his perpetual ascent as a route-runner, his ball skills, or his dynamism after the catch, Chase can do it all at a high level. His contact balance and body control not only when the ball is in the air, but when he's in the open field, are probably his biggest assets.
Combine that skill set with one of the more precise passers in the history of the sport in Burrow, and Chase is able to maximize all of his immense talent. The built-in human ESP between the Bengals' QB and top playmaker allow them to beat coverages even when a throw isn't "supposed" to be there based on what look the defense is presenting.
With Burrow's pinpoint ball placement, Chase is able to flourish after the catch better than if he was playing with a lesser field general. And again, he will only keep getting better for what should be another solid half-decade of his prime, and if anything, he's still a ways off from realizing his ceiling as a pure athlete.
So yeah, I buy into Holt's assertion that Chase has the best crack at besting Megatron's single-season receiving mark, and breaking through to unprecedented 2,000-yard territory. Whether that's this year, the next, or in 2028, Chase is bound to get there if he and Burrow stay on the field together for 17 games at full tilt.
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