Before his rookie season, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said he wanted to smash team records.
What seemed like bravado from a rookie to some morphed into reality quickly — Chase smashed Chad Johnson’s rookie receiving record with 1,455 yards (and those 13 touchdowns).
Now? He’s aiming for more record-breaking performances in 2023.
“Cincinnati stuff. Stuff to have my name written around this whole facility,” Chase said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Every receiver record they have.”
After taking down Chad’s record, Chase has eyes on another Bengals great — T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Specifically, he wants to surpass Housh’s club record of 112 catches in a season, though he says it won’t be easy.
“It’s hard getting catches in a game. Especially if you’re doubled and there’s another star receiver on your team,” Chase said, per Hobson. “You almost have to catch every pass that comes your way.”
Hard, but not impossible. Chase had 87 catches last season over just 12 games on 134 targets. The catch volume went up as defenses adapted and he started getting more intermediate and/or quick looks from Joe Burrow.
Maybe it doesn’t happen, but based on Chase’s record-shattering promises kept already, betting against him doesn’t seem like a strong play.
