Heading into the Cincinnati Bengals' Week 18 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ja'Marr Chase is leading the entire NFL in receptions (117), receiving yards (1,612) and touchdowns (16). If he remains in pole position in all three of those categories throughout the final weekend of the regular season, he will win the vaunted "triple crown." Pass-catchers are said to have won the triple crown when they lead the league in all three major receiving categories.
If he holds on, Chase will become just the fifth player since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to accomplish the feat, joining Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers, 1990), Sterling Sharpe (Green Bay Packers, 1992), Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers, 2005) and Cooper Kupp (Los Angeles Rams, 2021). Eight other players accomplished the feat prior to the merger.
Joe Burrow plans to help Ja'Marr Chase secure the receiving triple crown
It's an impressive accomplishment, and one that Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow plans to help Chase achieve. Leading up to the game against the Steelers, Burrow said that the plan is to "make sure" that Chase ends the current campaign with the crown.
"He works for it. He grinds for it," Burrow said. "He's a once-in-a-lifetime-type player and our careers will forever be tied together from college into the pro landscape. That's just fun to be a part of."
More Cincinnati Bengals news: Bengals making unique history proves NFL screwed them amid playoff push
Chase has had an incredible start to his professional career, and winning the triple crown would simply reinforce how special he is as a player. Chase has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first four seasons in the league, and he has been named to the Pro Bowl each time, too. He was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 and he was also named a Second-Team All-Pro that same season.
Chase is in line for a massive contract extension over the offseason, and becoming just the fifth receiver to lead the league in all three major catching categories since 1970 is only going to help him at the bargaining table.
Cincinnati's inability to get a deal done with Chase prior to the current campaign is going to come back to bite them as Chase's value is at an all-time high after he just turned in one of best seasons we've seen from a receiver in recent memory.