Joe Burrow: Bengals Will 'Make Sure' Ja'Marr Chase Gets Receiving Triple Crown
January 1, 2025
Cincinnati Bengals star Ja'Marr Chase has a sizable lead in all three wide receiver triple-crown categories, but Joe Burrow wants to ensure his teammate finishes atop all three categories going into the final week of the 2024 NFL regular season.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Burrow said the plan is to "make sure" Chase wins the triple crown.
"He works for it. He grinds for it. He's a once-in-a-lifetime-type player and our careers will forever be tied together from college into the pro landscape," Burrow added. "That's just fun to be a part of."
Chase currently leads the NFL with 117 receptions, 1,612 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. It seems unlikely anyone will surpass his touchdown mark. Terry McLaurin and Amon-Ra St. Brown are tied for second with 12 touchdown catches.
Receptions and yards are within reach for other players, but it would take a lot of work for Chase to fall out of the top spot. St. Brown (109 receptions) and Brock Bowers (104) are the only players within 10 catches of Chase.
Justin Jefferson (1,479 yards) is 133 yards behind Chase. No other player in the league is at 1,200 yards entering Week 18. Jefferson is certainly capable of having a big game this week, especially against a Detroit Lions defense that is scrambling to find healthy bodies right now.
It does help the race that the Bengals, Lions and Minnesota Vikings all have things to play for in Week 18. A Bengals win keeps their playoff hopes alive, but they will need losses by the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins to get in.
The Vikings and Lions will play on Sunday Night Football to determine the NFC North champion and No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
Chase averages just over seven receptions and 100.8 yards per game this season. If he hits those marks against the Steelers, his final season-long stat line will include 124 receptions and 1,720 yards. That would be the 11th-most receptions and 13th-most yards in a single season in NFL history.
Since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, only four receivers have had a triple-crown season. The most recent player to accomplish the feat was Cooper Kupp in 2021 (145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns).