The Cincinnati Bengals have Joe Burrow and Trey Hendrickson on their side, but it doesn’t get much better than the third star.
The Cincinnati Bengals are currently licking their wounds after watch their season end on the couch. In a viral video circling the internet from Hard Knocks, head coach Zac Taylor is seen watching the Denver Broncos dismantle the Kansas City Chiefs, dooming their fate.
However, while the season didn’t end the way they wanted, the Bengals can at least rest easy knowing they have several stars on the team better than any in the league.
Joe Burrow finished as one of the top quarterbacks in the country (Micah Parsons believes he is ‘the best in the world’ and Trey Hendrickson finished with the most sacks out of anyone this season. Of course, some may argue that the Bengals expected a top-tier season after extending him. There’s one more ‘monster’ on the team as well.
Ja’Marr Chase has opened “Pandora’s Box”
Speaking on a January 9 edition of “The 89 Show,” former Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. delivered one of the biggest endorsements one might hope for from a former player.
He said: “They’ve created and built a monster. But more than anything, Ja’Marr Chase has taken ownership of how he wants to do things.
“I would imagine he may not have that Triple Crown again next year, but what Pandora’s box you’ve opened is his ability to see the field in a way that will prolong his career,” he said.
“[He] can have that potential if he chooses to, to be like a Joey Galloway, a Jerry Rice, Derek Mason. These receivers who, despite size or athleticism, are able to play such a long period of time because they know the game inside out, they figured it out.
“And even though their athleticism has decreased their intelligence, the FBI, the football intelligence has expanded something as unfathomable that you can’t ever lose,” he added.
Another player Steve Smith Jr. might have referred to was Larry Fitzgerald, who played 17 years in the NFL, retiring after the 2020 season.
Steve Smith Jr.’s reference to the “triple crown” is an accomplishment reserved for the wide receiver who leads the league in receiving yards, receptions, and touchdowns.
Ja’Marr Chase won’t win the triple crown in 2025
While his 2024-25 season was one for the history books, Chase is far from guaranteed to pull off the feat again. If another receiver even pulls off the feal, Only five wide receivers ever have pulled it off, per Newsbyte.
However, if a receiver wins the triple crown in 2025, it might not be Ja’Marr Chase. Chase most likely will be working under a new deal and as such, his motivation won’t quite be as high next season.
Instead, Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is more than likely the be the front-runner. This season, he had to deal with Sam Darnold who, despite his 14-3 record, is one of the least dependable names in the business. That won’t stop teams from trying to get him in the off-season, but J.J. McCarthy has a much better chance to deliver the ball to Jefferson more often and more accurately.
