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Bengals QB Joe Burrow Discusses Ja'Marr Chase's Chances of Winning the Triple Crown

Jay Morrison

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) runs after a catch as Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith (0) defends in the first quarter of the NFL game at M&T Banks Stadium in Baltimore on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) runs after a catch as Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith (0) defends in the first quarter of the NFL game at M&T Banks Stadium in Baltimore on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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CINCINNATI – Triple Crown conversations typically are centered around baseball and horse racing, but the football version exists.

Which was news to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow when he was asked about wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase’s chances.

“I know he’s first in just about everything right now, so I know he’s probably on pace to do whatever the triple crown is,” Burrow said. “What does that mean?”

Chase is leading the league in all three categories – receptions (66), receiving yards (981) and receiving touchdowns (10).

He has a 150-yard lead on Justin Jefferson in yards and a three-TD cushion on George Kittle and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

But Burrow said Chase has not been in his ear about his numbers.

“No, he’s not. But you know if you have a guy like that if you are not trying to find ways to get him the ball then he maybe isn’t going to let you know directly, but he’ll let you know in his way, for sure,” he said.

That led to Burrow’s viral quote where he dropped an F-bomb in a press conference for the first time in his career.

“There’s a lot of different ways that a receiver can tell you, ‘Hey, get me the f--king ball.,’” he said.

Not only is Chase leading the league in all three of the major receiving categories, his yardage and touch numbers are the best through 10 games in his career. And the 66 catches trails only last year’s total of 71 through the first 10.

A big reason for the spike in production is how much the Bengals have moved Chase around this year, which is something that has been building since the 2022 playoff run.

“I think he’s really taken a step this year as far as understanding zone coverage, understanding what his job is and all these different little details on these routes,” Burrow said. “I think he’s just continuing to get better, as crazy as that sounds.”

Only four players have pulled off the Triple Crown since the 1970 merger.

Cooper Kupp was the most recent to do it in 2021 with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns).

Steve Smith accomplished it in 2005, but he finished tied for the lead with 103 receptions and 12 touchdowns while leading in yards outright with 1,563.

The other two to Sterling Sharpe in 1992 (108, 1,461, 13) and Jerry Rice in 1990 (100, 1,502, 13).

In franchise history, the Bengals have had one player lead the league in receptions, one in yards and one in touchdowns.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh tied Wes Welker with 112 catches in 2007.

Chad Johnson led the league in receiving yards with 1,369 in 2006.

Carl Pickens tied Cris Carter with 17 touchdowns in 1995.

Regardless of whether he secures the Triple Crown, Chase is on pace for the best numbers of his career.

His 10-game totals projected over 17 games would be 112 catches, 1,678 yards and 17 touchdowns.

The catches and touchdowns would tie the aforementioned franchise records held by Houshmandzadeh and Pickens, respectively. And the 1,678 yards would break his own franchise mark of 1,455, which he set as a rookie in 2021.

“Ja’Marr has shown he’s fully capable of wherever we ask him to go, whatever we ask him to do he’s going to be able to do it,” offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. “When you rise to the level of player he has risen to it is incumbent on us to do those things so he can continue to be the elite player from a production standpoint.”

Nothing is more elite than leading the

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Jay Morrison
JAY MORRISON

Jay Morrison covers the Cincinnati Bengals for Bengals On SI. He has been writing about the NFL for nearly three decades. Combining a passion for stats and storytelling, Jay takes readers beyond the field for a unique look at the game and the people who play it. Prior to joining Bengals on SI, Jay covered the Cincinnati Bengals beat for The Athletic, the Dayton Daily News and Pro Football Network.