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Ja’Marr Chase’s new goal is the receiver Triple Crown

Who’s gonna bet against him?

By John Sheeran
/ new
Super Bowl LVI - Los Angeles Rams v Cincinnati Bengals Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Ja’Marr Chase and the Cincinnati Bengals fell to the Cooper Kupp and the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 56 this past February. Kupp secured the game’s go-ahead touchdown in what was an all-around fine performance for the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year.

Kupp won that award as a wide receiver not by mistake. He became the fourth receiver in NFL history to lead the league in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in a single season.

This is commonly referred to as the Triple Crown, and it’s become Chase’s new milestone to reach. He said as much to Chad Johnson and Pacman Jones on the latest I Am Athlete podcast.

When it comes to lofty goals, Chase is no stranger. He made headlines last year claiming he will break every receiving record in Bengals history immediately after the team made him the fifth-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He proceeded to set the team’s single-season yardage record and league-wide rookie yardage record (1,455). There are still plenty of records for him to break in the years to come.

Chase ended up fourth in the league in yardage, and he finished third in touchdowns with 13, but he came well shy of the league-lead in receptions with just 81. Still, for a rookie, those are all absurd marks to hit.

Being on the same team as Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins for at least the next two years will make Chase’s goal a tough one to reach, but those three won’t play together forever. Chase has a long and prosperous career ahead of him, and with Joe Burrow slinging him the ball, production will always be a given.

His own teammates are far from the only obstacles Chase will have to overcome. Kupp is just one of the many great receivers dominating the game right now. We’re in a golden era of receiving talent, and said era isn’t ending anytime soon as more and more incredible college players keep entering the league.

When you break it all down, what Kupp did was as incredible as it was rare. For Chase to do the same in the coming years would be equally impressive.

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