Bengals News (2/2): Ja’Marr Chase’s improbable catch tops analytic chart

All-time Super Bowl QB rankings: Where do Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts land?
Patrick Mahomes' first five seasons as a starter compare favorably with the first five seasons of any quarterback to ever play. No one other than Dan Marino is even close in the modern era, making Mahomes the best player I've seen come into the league since I started covering the sport in 2003. His list of career achievements won't come close to matching Tom Brady's for a long time, but Mahomes is ahead of the pace on that front, too. Mahomes, in his fifth season as a starter, is a two-time first-team All-Pro and presumptive two-time MVP. Brady didn't reach the top of the sport individually until his seventh season as a starter.

Agent's Take: As Joe Burrow and Bengals gear up for extension, QB has shot to become NFL's highest-paid player
"Yeah, I think that starts now internally," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said in Monday's season-ending press conference when asked about a new Burrow contract. The Bengals lost 23-20 to the Chiefs in Sunday's AFC Championship Game. Burrow is scheduled to make $5,545,018 in 2023 on an $11,515,043 salary cap number. The Bengals will surely pick up their fifth-year option on Burrow for a fully guaranteed $29.504 million in 2024 prior to the May 2 deadline.

Travis Kelce addresses trash talk, rivalry between Bengals and Chiefs
“It’s fun banter at the end of the day, but I don’t want this to get away from how much I respect the Bengals — the coaches, the players on that team. All those guys across the board on the offensive side are absolutely spectacular and… that defense, I don’t know if I’ve played a defense that plays more together than that team.”

Cincinnati Bengal Wide Receiver Ja'Marr Chase's AFC Championship Game Catch Sets Improbable Mar
"Ja'Marr Chase's 35-yard catch in the 4th quarter had a completion probability of 13.4% (most improbable of the week and 11th most improbable of the season)," Zebra Sports revealed. "It was the most improbable 4th down conversion on a pass over the last three seasons."

Around the league

Robert Kraft wants Tom Brady to retire as member of Patriots: 'He always has been and always will be a Patriot'
"I don't want to make a commitment for him, but we will do everything in our power to bring him back, have him sign off as a Patriot and find ways to honor him for many years to come, because he did so much to bring life and good cheer to our community and he's a beloved figure and he's earned the respect and love that people feel for him like no other athlete in our town, and we've had some great ones."

Daniel Jeremiah's top 50: 2023 NFL Draft prospect rankings 1.0
Carter is a highly disruptive player with the versatility to line up at any position along the defensive front. Against the pass, he has an explosive first step and understands how to work through the edges of blockers. He jars opponents with his initial strike before clearing his hips and closing in on the quarterback. He has the change-of-direction ability of a player 40-to-50 pounds lighter. He can use pure power to run through single blocks and possesses the quickness to split double teams. Against the run, he is firm and strong at the point of attack and has the range to make plays on the perimeter. The only negative is that he ends up on the ground a little too much. Overall, Carter is a real difference maker and must be accounted for on every snap.

Raiders GM Dave Ziegler expects to field offers for Derek Carr: 'There's going to be people interested'
Carr was unceremoniously benched with two games remaining in the 2022 season, laying the groundwork for a departure. The Raiders have been expected to explore trade options involving the veteran quarterback since the start of 2023, but there's been little movement on that front to this point.