Ja’Marr Chase has had a stellar start to his career, and if he keeps up the pace he’s been catching the ball at, he could be in elite company.
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Chase was picked 5th overall in last year’s draft to many people’s surprise. Chase had sat out the final year of his college stint at LSU due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The competitor in me badly wants to play the season and go to war with my brothers, but during this time with so much going on, this is what’s best for my family,” Chase said at the time. “I cannot ignore what I feel in my heart, and this ultimately is the best decision for me. I’ll look forward to returning to the field in 2021.”
However, the Bengals weren’t concerned with his year off. Chase had played with Heisman winner Joe Burrow at LSU, and they felt like reuniting the championship-winning pair would be ideal.
Many fans and analysts felt like this was the wrong move as the Bengals desperately needed an offensive lineman, and they would have the chance to draft Penei Sewell.
Of course, the Bengals rolled the dice on Chase, and it paid great dividends. Chase caught 81 passes for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. Those figures ranked 2oth, 4th, and 3rd overall in the league.
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Ja’Marr Chase is on a historic pace and could join Odell Beckham Jr., Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry
Chase already has 15 catches for 183 yards and 1 touchdown through two games this year. Overall, Chase is closing down on the 200 catch mark very fast, and he could join a group of elite receivers if he does.
Currently, Odell Beckham Jr. holds the record for the fewest games to 200 with 30 games. Michael Thomas is next in like at 32 followed by 33 games.
Justin Jefferson reached the mark in 34 games. So far, Chase has 116 in 22 games. If he keeps the pace of about 5.27 catches per game up, he should reach the 200 mark at 37ish games.
However, Chase can accelerate and close that mark down faster with a few big games. It all comes down to how much he gets fed in any given game.
When you look at the list of the fastest to 200 catches, you’ll also notice that aside from Michael Thomas, everyone went to LSU. Perhaps LSU really is the best college at producing pro-level wide receivers.
