Ja'Marr Chase Still Has Work to Do in Rookie of the Year Race

There is no question that Cincinnati Bengals rookie wideout Ja’Marr Chase has a ton of potential, but he’s going to need some time after not playing football last season. 

Chase opted out of the 2020 season at LSU, and there have been some struggles with drops and his release off the line during training camp. However, the rookie is taking a mature approach as he tries to improve ahead of the 2021 season. 

"I talked to them about how I feel right now," Chase said of his teammates Joe Burrow and Thaddeus Moss. "It was plays I knew I could make. I had some drops on them. Thad just told me to relax. 'Rome wasn't built in a day.' That's exactly what he told me. 'Keep a level head.' (Burrow) was saying how we both were out for a year and we have to come back completely different, stronger, faster. The main thing is about being on the same time and getting our stuff together."

WynnBET has Chase tied with Najee Harris for seventh on the odds list to win Rookie of the Year at +1100 odds. Chase is the highest receiver on the list, but he will have his work cut out for him as a wideout hasn’t won the award since Odell Beckham Jr. did back in 2014. 

Chase could still put together a quality campaign, but as he eases himself back into football, there is still a lot of work to do for him to improve on those odds. 

"That's what he's been working with me on the most, getting off the ball," Chase said. "He wants me to come off the ball a little differently this year. Just come off with a better burst of five yards so I can get into my route faster. It's something new. I'm willing to learn. We'll see how it works."

Playing with his college quarterback in Burrow should help, and we will get our first taste of Chase in the NFL on Saturday when the Bengals face the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their first game of the preseason. 

In an offense that already has Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, Chase has to prove that he is worthy of receiving the lion's share of the targets this season. Unless he can do that, he may be more of a wait-and-see candidate for bettors in the Rookie of the Year conversation.

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