Joe Burrow wants Bengals record, but Chase Brown could nab a couple of his own

Recently, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow raised eyebrows when he announced that he would like to break the franchise record for touchdown passes.

To achieve that goal, Burrow must pass for 48 touchdowns in the upcoming season, which would surpass the franchise record currently held by Andy Dalton.

However, Burrow is not the only player who should be chasing records, as Chase Brown should also be in pursuit of the franchise’s rushing yards and touchdown records for running backs, which could prove more impactful.

Bengals' rushing records lofty goals that Chase Brown should seek

For the underrated Brown, the arrow is only going up. And that is perfect timing as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.

The current franchise record for most rushing yards in a season belongs to Rudy Johnson, with 1,458 yards set in 2005. Another record that Brown should have his sights on is the rushing touchdown record, 15, which Ickey Woods set in the 1988 season.

Last year, James Cook, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, and Bijan Robinson each rushed for more than Johnson's Bengals franchise record for rushing yards in a season. 

Only seven times have running backs surpassed 1,458 rushing yards since the 2023 season, Brown’s rookie season. Only ten players reached 1,400 rushing yards during that time.

Just as difficult to achieve is 15 rushing touchdowns in the season. Players have rushed for 15 or more touchdowns nine times since 2023, but only six times by running backs, with the other three by quarterbacks Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and Josh Allen.

As difficult as those marks may be to attain, there are reasons to believe that Brown can reach them.

Burrow’s best OL ever is also Brown’s

There has been a lot of discussion about whether being off the line this year will be the best Burrow has had since he arrived in Cincinnati, with most agreeing with that sentiment.

Lost in that conversation is the obvious fact that if it is Burrow's best offensive line of his career, it will also be the best group that Brown gets to run behind.

Our favorite Canadian running back already had one of the most underrated seasons for running backs last season, considering how much he had to overcome being hit in the backfield and still succeeding.

If the offensive line can permit Brown to operate while being hit less in the backfield in the 2026 season, we should expect even greater results than last year.

But that is hoping the unit can improve in that particular category while also helping keep Burrow upright.

Zac Taylor’s offense needs more Chase Brown

Speaking of keeping Burrow upright, one of the things that will go a long way to helping protect him is a good and consistent rushing attack.

We previously identified Zac Taylor's reluctance to run the ball as a hindrance to the team’s offensive success. One of the best ways to help Burrow take fewer hits and improve the offense would be to run at the ball more often and more consistently.

Since Burrow’s rookie season in 2020, head coach and playcaller Zac Taylor has orchestrated an offense that has finished 18th, 19th, 29th, 30th, 31st, and 29th in rushing attempts.

And although we hope not to have to worry about keeping the defense off the field, this season, after the plethora of moves they made to improve that side of the ball, rushing the ball more will help even more.

Fantasy football experts already all in on Chase Brown

And if you're not willing to believe in the evidence laid out by us, perhaps you would be more inclined to believe fantasy football players who only have their best interests in mind.

Heading into the 2026 season, Dov Kleiman has Brown as his fifth-best running back for fantasy football. 

No, that does not mean that Brown is the fifth-best running back in the NFL, but it does speak to how others view his situation and his overall impact on Cincinnati's offensive success.

Even world-renowned fantasy guru Matthew Berry loves what the 2026 promises for Brown after the Bengals did not take a running back in the draft. 

Chase Brown’s records could matter more to winning

Hopefully, Burrow will obtain the franchise record for touchdown passes this season. That will mean he has played in 17 games and performed at an extremely high level.

Furthermore, if Burrow reaches the record, Chase Brown will also be a significant part of that success.

Nevertheless, if we are looking for overall team success, the key could come down to whether Chase Brown becomes the franchise leader in rushing yards or rushing touchdowns in 2026. 

Then again, if Brown hits those milestones, it will make his impending contract negotiations much more difficult for the team if the aim is to retain him. But that would be a great problem to have.

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