Ja'Marr Chase knows exactly what makes him a special talent at wide receiver. It's his strength and his toughness.
"My best trait is being physical," said the Cincinnati Bengals rookie. "Being a tough receiver. Making tough catches. I have strong hands so I would say that’s my biggest suit.”
At 6-foot-1 and 200-plus pounds, Chase developed a reputation at LSU as being a smooth and explosive receiver with rare ball-tracking skills and the ability to adjust downfield. Chase's vertical acceleration both before and after the catch makes him a matchup nightmare for any defensive back.
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But of all the skills in Chase's bag, the one that gets overlooked the most is his mind. It's special.
Breaking down film is an integral part of Chase's success. Chase is able to digest the footage, dissect different defensive coverages and identify tendencies of opposing cornerbacks.
But that wasn't always the case.
Chase, the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, used to have no clue what to look for while watching film. Then he met Joe Burrow.
"I know in college, Joe was actually one of the first people that helped me really break down film," Chase said. "I used to just sit there and watch myself, try to critique myself, but Joe actually gave me the ins and outs of watching film when I was younger. It plays a part now."
Chase and Burrow first developed a connection when Burrow transferred to LSU from Ohio State in 2018. By 2019, that connection became so strong it helped the Tigers win the national championship, led to Burrow winning the Heisman Trophy, and Chase racking up 84 catches, 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns en route to earning the Fred Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in college football.
With the Bengals selecting Burrow and Chase in consecutive drafts, the mission for the two now is to recapture that connection and chemistry in Cincinnati.
“I would probably say we never lost it," Chase said Saturday. "Just a little communication with me and him if I might mess up and he’ll tell me what’s going on, tell me how he wants it, tell me what I see on the play so we’ll talk about it, correct it and that’s how it’s always been.”
The tandem of Chase and Burrow was soaring high Saturday as fans gathered inside Paul Brown Stadium to get their first look at the squad this summer. Whether it was in warmups or during team drills, the former LSU standouts connected on a few plays that drew loud responses from the crowd.
Recapturing that connection off the field is also a priority for Chase and Burrow. The two hang out often, whether it's going to Jeff Ruby's Precinct (Chase's favorite restaurant in Cincinnati so far), taking in an FC Cincinnati match, or Chase just randomly popping up at Burrow's house.
“Me and him talk. We’re always talking constantly," Chase said. "In person, I might pull up on his house. I think I’ve been to his house three times. I put a couple of my plaques over there for when I didn’t have my house yet so I just had a whole bunch of stuff sitting with him.”
Chase now has a house of his own, and it's not too far from Burrow's.
“We’re pretty close to each other. We’re not right next to each other. I don’t want to be that close to him," Chase said.
Regardless of how close the connection between Chase and Burrow may be, the expectation this season will be touchdowns, a lot of them. And with a lot of touchdowns comes a lot of coordinated end-zone celebrations and dances by Chase and fellow receivers Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins.
"Yeah. I know Ja’Marr, he’s going to want to the Griddy, so I gotta learn how to do the Griddy and this and that," Higgins said. "But we got some other stuff in the works. I definitely gotta do the little Cincy stuff that everybody been wanting me to do. I’m going to try to practice that a little bit and crank it up in a game."
Chase said he'll be ready.
"I'll have some exciting stuff," he said. "Me and T. Boyd and Tee Higgins are going to make up some dance moves or something. ... We're going to try to come up with some stuff to keep the fans' energy."
