Tag: Ja’Marr Chase

NFL analyst believes Commanders should pursue offseason trade for Ja’Marr Chase

While it’s a fun thought, it would never happen.

The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off a thrilling Monday night win over the Dallas Cowboys. Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase caught 14 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner.

The win improved the Bengals to 5-8, but they remain on the outside looking in regarding the AFC playoff picture. Don’t blame Chase or quarterback Joe Burrow, though. Both are having phenomenal seasons, but Chase is doing it while unhappy with his contract.

Cincinnati and Chase could not agree to terms on an extension before the season, and his price has only increased since. Chase, who has a cap number of $9.8 million, is playing this season while leading the NFL in all major receiving categories.

Meanwhile, his former LSU teammate, Justin Jefferson, became the NFL’s highest-paid receiver in the offseason, signing a four-year, $140 million deal, resetting the top of the receiver market.

There’s also the case of Tee Higgins. Cincinnati’s other star receiver played on the franchise tag this year and will be a free agent in the offseason. Chase has one year remaining on his rookie deal as the Bengals picked up his rookie fifth-year option.

Cincinnati has received trade offers for Higgins but has refused to deal him. The Bengals have always refused to trade a player, even when it makes sense.

Could the Bengals actually trade Chase instead of paying him a record contract? Remember, Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million extension in 2023. Do the notoriously thrifty Bengals want to pay Chase a quarterback-like salary?

Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated has an idea: Cincinnati should trade Chase and names two teams as potential trade partners: The Washington Commanders and the New England Patriots.

The Commanders and Patriots have a rookie quarterback, a wide receiver need, and plenty of salary cap room. Could you imagine Washington acquiring Chase to go with Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin? It would certainly further accelerate the Commanders’ Super Bowl timeline.

Looking around the NFL, there are a few teams I believe make the most sense. The New England Patriots and Washington Commanders are both intriguing, as each has extra draft picks, ample cap space and a rookie quarterback who needs more skill-position talent to reach his full potential.

Washington would send two first-round picks and more to the Bengals in this hypothetical trade. Chase is certainly worth it, but we aren’t sure the Bengals would be willing to trade one of the NFL’s top two wide receivers.

Commanders general manager Adam Peters likes to keep his draft picks as there remains plenty of work to do on Washington’s roster. But would Peters consider such a move for one of the NFL’s top stars while he has Daniels on a rookie contract?

The trade possibilities sound fun, but Cincinnati is not trading Chase. And in this case, the Bengals shouldn’t trade him and find a way to him and keep him and Burrow together. Cincinnati should have moved Higgins in the offseason.

Cowboys block Bengals punt, find way to lose game

The Bengals escaped with a win when it seemed a loss was possible

The Cincinnati Bengals seemed to create ways to lose football games in 2024. It is only fitting they benefited from one of the most unusual breaks to win one on Monday.

The Bengals had a punt blocked by the Dallas Cowboys late in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 20. The ball went forward and a Dallas player touched it but didn’t control the football.

Cincinnati recovered and three plays later Joe Burrow found Ja’Marr Chase for a 40-yard touchdown that gave the Bengals a 27-20 victory over the Cowboys.

Here is how the play-by-play described the punt that happened on a fourth-and-27.  Yes, the Bengals had their punt blocked on a fourth-and-27 and somehow wound up with a first-and-10.

4th & 27 at CIN 29

(2:00 – 4th) R.Rehkow punts 13 yards to CIN 42, Center-C.Adomitis. A.Oruwariye MUFFS catch, RECOVERED by CIN-M.Njongmeta at CIN 43.

Amari Oruwariye, who had just been activated to the roster, was distraught heading to the locker room after the loss.

Burrow threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns. Chase had 14 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns.

For Dallas, Rico Dowd;e had 131 rushing yards and CeeDee Lamb had 93 receiving yards and a TD.

NFL personnel discuss what Bengals could get in Ja’Marr Chase trade

No, a Ja’Marr Chase trade isn’t happening, but the NFL world is talking about it.

The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t trading Ja’Marr Chase.

That big disclaimer out of the way, the NFL world is currently busy at work wondering how the Bengals might be able to re-open the Super Bowl window that was slammed shut after this year’s 4-8 start.

In doing so, Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame suggested the Bengals emulate the Kansas City Chiefs when that franchise traded away Tyreek Hill and got first-, second-, and fourth-round picks that year while avoiding paying up on a big contract.

Verderame spoke with anonymous NFL personnel on the topic of similar compensation for Chase.

“I would think so,” one NFC talent evaluator said. “He’s a better overall player and I would guess less baggage and younger at the time of the trade.”

It’s all a moot point, though. Chase would command the same or more compensation in a trade, just as he’ll reset the market on his deal this upcoming offseason.

The Bengals hurt themselves badly this past offseason by not paying Chase, a messy situation that bled into this year. Chase felt misled by the team, and his agent has taken public victory laps over his performance (1,142 yards and 13 touchdowns over 12 games), dramatically boosting his asking price.

And while it’s true the Bengals need to find ways to also pay guys like Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson, there are plenty of ways to create more cap space via cuts.

If the Bengals do anything out of character like this, it would be applying a second consecutive franchise tag on Higgins, which could perhaps then lead to a tag-and-trade scenario. That would be one way to stockpile assets and reload on the defensive side of the football.

The Bengals entertaining a deal like the one the Chiefs did with Hill might work on 31 other teams. But not in Cincinnati, where the Joe Burrow-Chase dynamic is unique. And moving a star offensive player to rebuild the defense sounds good…until one realizes just how many droves of assets the team has poured into the defense over the last few years, only for it to be a colossal failure.

Meaning: Big changes are coming. But trading Chase won’t be considered for even a second.

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Ja’Marr Chase showed some amazing restraint while talking Bengals issues

Ja’Marr Chase said a lot about the Bengals…but could have said more.

Cincinnati Bengals players, for the most part, have kept it professional and as expected in front of cameras despite the struggles this season.

That includes star wideout Ja’Marr Chase, who fielded questions after his team’s latest loss and said quite a lot with just a few words.

As one video from Fox 19’s Jeremy Rauch captured, Chase had this reply when asked if the offense feels like it has to score on every drive: “That’s our expectations now.”

On one hand, an offense should want to score on every drive, so the question and response is a little moot.

But on the other, it should have never been able to get to this point. In the loss to Pittsburgh, Joe Burrow threw for 309 yards and three scores, and Chase had 86 yards and a score. But Russell Wilson was allowed to throw for a season-high 414 yards and three scores in a 44-38 Pittsburgh win.

So goes the story of the season, with Burrow playing at an MVP level and Chase looking like the best wideout in football with 79 catches for 1,142 yards and 13 touchdowns through 12 games.

Burrow wasn’t exactly as nice in his own recent interview and at this point, it’s pretty clear things are getting blown up on the other side of the ball next offseason.

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Najee Harris was a man possessed in Steelers’ Week 13 victory

Najee Harris led all skill position players in Week 13 with 129 total yards and a TD, showcasing elite form in a standout performance.

Fans of the hard-nosed, Pittsburgh-style running game, rejoice! Najee Harris turned back the clock to his rookie season as he showcased his elite receiving skills, run-after-the-catch ability, downhill physical running, and elusiveness all at once in Week 13. Harris not only led all running backs in the Steelers-Bengals matchup in rushing, but he also accumulated more total yards than any skill position player from either team: 129 total yards and 1 TD.

In a game featuring elite, talented receivers and running backs such as Steelers WR George Pickens, Bengals WRs Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and RB Chase Brown, it was Harris who shined the brightest.

Harris is currently in a contract year with Pittsburgh, after the Steelers declined to pick up his fifth-year option, and he appears determined to make a statement with a career resurgence in 2024. Ideally, the Steelers would love to keep Harris in the Black and Gold forever, as fans of the Steel City would undoubtedly appreciate—especially if his elite Week 13 performance becomes the new norm in Pittsburgh.

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Steelers CB Donte Jackson excited to face fellow LSU alumni in Week 13

Steelers CB Donte Jackson admires LSU alumni Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase ahead of Pittsburgh’s Week 13 matchup with Cincinnati.

The LSU brotherhood appears to be running strong. Although the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals are bitter rivals, CB Donte Jackson, who dons the Black and Gold, admires the impressive start fellow LSU alumni Bengals QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase have had to their NFL careers.

During media availability leading up to the Steelers’ Week 13 contest against the Bengals, Jackson spoke highly of both Chase and Burrow but specifically highlighted what makes Burrow so special: his “killer instinct.”

Reporters jokingly asked if Jackson spoke so highly of the two because of his ties to LSU, and the Steelers CB had one simple response: “Go Tigers.”

While Jackson admires the younger generations of great LSU talent, his admiration will quickly shift to determination, especially when he likely faces Chase directly in a few matchups. Fans can witness the action when the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13 on December 1st at 1:00 PM EST.

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Ja’Marr Chase makes surprising admission about Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick

Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase might surprise fans with this take about Steelers star Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase had a rather infamous gesture aimed at Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick not too long ago.

But fast forward to Week 13 before the Bengals play the Steelers, Chase actually had quite the admission about Fitzpatrick.

There, Chase said the following, according to WCPO’s Caleb Noe: “Minkah’s not even ranked on my ‘most hated’ list.”

But as expected, Chase wouldn’t actually name his most-hated list. Given the battles they have had over the years, it’s pretty surprising to think Fitzpatrick doesn’t crack the list. One would think he and a few guys from spots like Cleveland and Kansas City qualify for premium spots.

But who knows? Maybe as the Bengals fight for their lives on Sunday, Fitzpatrick will work his way onto it. Either way, the latest AFC North battle should be a bitter one.

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Evan McPherson reveals surprising No. 1 defender in Bengals locker room

The top Bengals player who has Evan McPherson’s back is one of the biggest names on the team.

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson has had a brutal season so far, which has been a pretty good sign of how things have gone overall for the team.

But McPherson’s getting some support from key pieces within the locker room.

After the bye week, McPherson revealed that he’s actually apologized to guys like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase for letting them down. In the process, he also revealed that it’s Chase who has come to his defense the most.

“I like to apologize to those guys because those guys play their tail off and for me not to come through at the end, it really sucks,” McPherson said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “We give each other a hard time even if we’re struggling. He’s just a good guy. A good supportive teammate. He told me he’s always going to support me good or bad, win or lose. He’s always going to be there for me. I really appreciate that guy. Really good teammate.” …

It’s a really cool peek behind the curtain. Unsurprising but cool — players, like fans, understand that one player alone shouldn’t get all the blame or praise for wins and losses.

While it’s easy to speculate that things might not be great in the Bengals’ locker room right now (no matter what Zac Taylor is doing with ping-pong tables), this sort of comment shows otherwise.

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Steelers-Bengals matchups to watch: Joey Porter Jr. vs Ja’Marr Chase

Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. faces a tall task in Week 13 as he takes on Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase in a key AFC North matchup.

After Week 12’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers are itching to enact revenge on another AFC North rival, the Cincinnati Bengals. One matchup that could very well decide the outcome of the Week 13 contest will be Steelers’ CB Joey Porter Jr. taking on Bengals’ WR Ja’Marr Chase.

Porter Jr. has had mixed results throughout the 2024 season, delivering elite shutdown performances in some games while allowing significant receiving yards in others. JPJ has allowed zero touchdowns this season but has also given up a less-than-ideal 13.3 yards per reception and a subpar 92.2 passer rating when targeted.

JPJ will have his hands full in Week 13, as Chase currently leads the NFL in both receiving yards and touchdowns, with 1,056 yards and 12 touchdowns, respectively. Chase is also averaging an impressive 14.5 yards per reception, which could pose a challenge for the Steelers’ young CB.

While Porter Jr. got the better of Chase last season when the two teams met, the Bengals’ star receiver is putting together his best season to date. JPJ versus Chase will not disappoint, and fans can look forward to this Week 13 matchup on December 1st at 1:00 PM EST.

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Flashback: Revisiting LSU’s last meeting with Oklahoma in 2019 playoff

LSU will hope for a repeat of its last meeting with Oklahoma on Saturday night

In its regular-season finale, LSU football hosts Oklahoma on Saturday for a primetime game.

The Sooners come in high off an upset 21-point victory over No. 7 Alabama and a 6-5 record, qualifying for a bowl game.

The last time LSU and Oklahoma faced off came in the 2019 College Football Playoff semifinal, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

In a game that featured two of the NFL’s best quarterbacks and several high-profile skill players, the Tigers blew out the Sooners 63-28 en route to winning the national championship under head coach [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag].

[autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] led LSU with seven touchdowns and 493 receiving yards. He finished as the third-leading rusher with 21 yards behind Chris Curry (16 carries for 90 yards) and Tyrion Davis-Price (four carries for 25 yards).

[autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] totaled four touchdowns and 227 receiving yards. [autotag]Terrace Marshall Jr[/autotag]. (80 receiving yards) hauled in two touchdowns and [autotag]Thaddeus Moss[/autotag] (99 receiving yards) found the end zone once. [autotag]Ja’Marr Chase[/autotag] finished with 39 yards as each of the Tigers’ top four receivers caught a pass of 30+ yards.

The Sooners, quarterbacked by Jalen Hurts, scored on four runs. Running backs Kennedy Brooks and TJ Pledger each totaled one score while Hurts used his legs twice for two touchdowns.

Hurts finished with 217 yards through the air and 43 yards on the ground. He threw one interception and connected with CeeDee Lamb for 119 yards.