Ja'Marr Chase wants more trust in Bengals' offense, and he'll get his chance to earn it next season
When the game is on the line and the Cincinnati Bengals need a play to be made on offense, there's at least a 95% chance quarterback Joe Burrow is looking Ja'Marr Chase's way. The three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver has had Burrow's trust ever since the two dominated college football at LSU, and the Bengals […]
When the game is on the line and the Cincinnati Bengals need a play to be made on offense, there's at least a 95% chance quarterback Joe Burrow is looking Ja'Marr Chase's way.
The three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver has had Burrow's trust ever since the two dominated college football at LSU, and the Bengals didn't take too long to trust him as well.
There's still one level of trust that Chase is trying to break through, and this year is the perfect year for it to happen.
In talking ball with Yahoo! Sports' Matt Harmon during Super Bowl 58 week in Las Vegas, Chase spoke on how making plays grants him more freedom in his route running, but he hasn't achieved that liberty in the slot yet.
"I feel like you get more freedom the more plays you make," Chase said of the offense. "And the more they trust you. Because they still don't trust me in the slot yet. That's why I haven't played it so much. I don't know why.
"That's a question for them to answer," Chase said when asked why. "I'm not saying they don't completely trust me but you know, certain routes I want to run, they don't trust me all the way running them yet."
Chase being limited in any way, shape, or form seems ridiculous as the team's leading receiver since being drafted, but he's the one in meetings, practice, and studying the playbook. Cincinnati has also had a good reason to feature him more prominently in the slot, as defenses quickly adapted to taking away his vertical routes after his dominant rookie season.
The Bengals adapted right back by putting Chase in the slot more frequently. A quick look at the numbers tells us his usage inside took a jump in 2022, and 2023 saw another jump in his own target share:
Ja'Marr Chase Year-by-Year Slot Usage
| YEAR | SLOT SNAP % | SLOT TARGET % |
|---|---|---|
2021 | 18.4% | 17.1% |
2022 | 23.8% | 28.4% |
2023 | 23.5% | 34.8% |
Chase may've seen more reps in the slot, but what he's asked to do on those plays may be more limited compared to other receivers more experienced in that role.
"I can understand that though. I mean, I can take coaching at the end of the day, and I look at it as coaching," Chase said. "They helped me on running certain routes differently. It's just helping me to be a better receiver at the end of the day."
Chase's comments also come at an interesting time with free agency around the corner.
Long-time slot receiver Tyler Boyd is set to enter the open market for the first time in his career, and it's presumed that the Bengals will let him sign with another team. They could end up replacing him in the NFL Draft, with an inexpensive veteran, or someone already on the roster will have to step up.
Boyd was almost exclusively a slot guy for the past eight years in Cincinnati. The Bengals could evolve their offense and become more diverse by opting to rotate receivers in and out of his spot. This is a door opening for the coaching staff to put more trust in Chase to run his route tree.
Chase ranked seventh among all qualifying wideouts (minimum 30 total targets) in yards per route ran from the slot last year at 2.57. The likes of Brandon Aiyuk (3.51), Tyreek Hill (3.14), and Justin Jefferson (3.07) were ahead of him.
The NFL's best receivers get a good chunk of their production from operating out of the slot. It makes total sense why Chase wants the same, and there's little reason why he shouldn't have more freedom there going forward.
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