Former LSU star named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month

Cincinnati Bengals first-year wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase earned the NFL’s first offensive rookie of the month award of the season.

The rookie’s connection with quarterback Joe Burrow from their LSU days is paying off, especially in the redzone.

Heading into Week 4 games, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound wideout is tied for second in touchdowns (4), behind NFC offensive player of the month Cooper Kupp. Rob Gronkowski, Adam Thielen and Mike Williams also have four receiving touchdowns.

In 2019, Burrow and Chase proved to be arguably the best quarterback-receiver duo in all of college football. Burrow threw for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns. Chase hauled in 84 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. LSU went undefeated and won the national championship. 

Through three games this season, Chase has caught 11 passes for 220 yards from Burrow – eight of those resulted in a first down for the Bengals.

Rookie of the Month, Madden boost

Thanks to a stellar month, Ja’Marr Chase is getting a boost to his Madden ranking, too. Chad Johnson, former Bengal and current Madden Ratings Adjuster, informed the rookie of the news:

“Chase! Since the football season has started, you have been money in the bank,” stated Chad Johnson, former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver and current Madden Ratings Adjuster. “Preseason, you had everybody talking — making them think you had a case of the drops. Now, as a rookie, in only your third game, youngest player ever to have four touchdowns in just three games. With that, your name is in great company. Guess who else did that — Randy Moss is the only other player to do that, dude!

“Your overall rating is going up plus-one, from a 76 to a 77. Your catching, cause that’s what you’ve been doing the past three weeks after fooling everybody in the preseason, is going plus-two; from an 83 to an 85. 85 is a great number. Your deep-route running is going up plus-one from a 79 to an 80. You’re playing phenomenal son. Keep it up.”

Chase shakes off preseason

A monster month was just what former Tiger Ja’Marr Chase needed.

Throughout the preseason, Chase struggled with drops. He opted out of the 2020 college football season, which might have contributed to some rust heading into the season.

“I know I left a lot of stuff out there,” Chase said of his struggles in Bengals camp via Around the NFL’s Kevin Patra. “But that’s all in time for me to get better, of course. I’m not afraid to get better. That’s what I’m here for – to work, to get better, make the team better, make the organization better.

“I don’t want to blame it on me sitting on my butt the whole year, but it probably has something to do with it, of course. … Everyone wants to see this and that, but I’m excited to show literally me, myself. I’m excited to do what I came here to do.”