It took Ja’Marr Chase just a few games to establish himself as an NFL star. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft went for 1,455 receiving yards in the regular season, which is the most recorded by a rookie in the Super Bowl era, and helped the Cincinnati Bengals reel off three straight postseason wins to get to Super Bowl LVI.
Chase proved to be one of the elite home-run hitters in the NFL as well, as he caught 13 touchdowns — four short of tying Randy Moss’ rookie record. Chase will certainly make an appearance on the NFL Top 100 this year, which premiers Aug. 14 on NFL Network. NFL Films released a clip of Chase’s future segment, which featured commentary from new New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu.
“I hate to compare people, but he’s like Odell Beckham 2.0,” Mathieu said.
The “Honey Badger” had a front-row seat to Chase’s best game, as he exploded for 266 yards and three touchdowns on 11 catches in Week 17 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Chase set a rookie record for most receiving yards in a single game in the win, completely torching Kansas City’s defense.
“It was embarrassing,” said Mathieu.
“It was Tiger on Tiger crime. That’s how I like to describe it.”
Chase, of course, won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and his campaign was indeed similar to Beckham’s. In 2014, OBJ caught 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in just 12 games played! His 108.8 receiving yards per game led the NFL, and OBJ’s success continued for the next few years. He caught 96 passes for 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2015, and then 101 passes for 1,367 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2016.
With both players hailing from LSU and both setting the league on fire in their first seasons — in addition to their similar skillsets — it’s hard not to be reminded of OBJ when revisiting Chase’s rookie campaign. The Bengals found themselves a stud, and we should expect another big season.
