Ja'Marr Chase named Bengals non-QB MVP by NFL.com

Ja’Marr Chase had about as dynamic a season a rookie wide receiver has ever had. Chase won Offensive Rookie of the Year with 81 catches for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Bengals rookie receiver was named a Pro Bowler and Second Team All-Pro en route to helping Cincinnati make their first Super Bowl since 1988.

Chase will only continue to grow as he matures in the NFL. His growth could eventually even reach an MVP level. That step for him could be taken as early as this year as NFL.com’s Kevin Patra predicted him as the Bengals non-QB MVP for next season. He says Chase’s improving consistency could help him put up MVP-like numbers.

“This argument isn’t even hard to make. Chase set a Super Bowl era rookie record for receiving yards in 2021 with 1,455. So what does he do for an encore? Oh, just bust Calvin Johnson’s all-time single-season receiving yards record (1,964) and hit the 2K mark,” said Patra. “Silly, you say? Well, he nearly had 1,500 yards in his first season. That was with six games where he generated fewer than 50 receiving yards — including a 3-yarder in Week 15 vs. Denver. Contrast that with Cooper Kupp, who had one tilt below 92 yards last season. There is still meat on that bone for Chase.”

Chase finished top five in nearly every receiving category for a wideout. He finished fourth in both receiving yards and for the league’s longest reception with an 82-yard haul. He also finished second in yards per reception (18), third in receiving touchdowns, and fifth in reception yards per game (85.6).

Chase’s college connection with Joe Burrow at LSU paid dividends for the pair last year. That connection will only grow in their third overall season together and beyond. Pair that with an improved Chase and Bengals team around him and Patra says it’s not out of the question.

“With Joe Burrow’s “F- it, Ja’Marr’s down there somewhere” mentality, there is a chance for Chase to go bonkers every week,” Patra said. “The second-year stud could put up more consistent numbers as he improves as a route runner with an entire offseason under his belt. With the Bengals’ O-line expected to improve, there will be even more chances for explosive plays in Cincy.”

The NFL MVP is consistently a quarterback-dominated award. If the Bengals were to be successful again in 2022, a lot of the credit would likely go to Burrow. Still, Chase proved in one year he’s a player that can put up crazy numbers when he gets the chance. If his second season and career compare to his first, he may be in more than one MVP conversation before it’s all said and done.