Cincinnati Bengals: Chase hopes to become first WR to win back-to-back Triple Crowns

Now, after getting his contract extension done in March, Chase is a full participant in training camp and realizing the benefits of being a part of the group. He’s hoping to be the first receiver to win back-to-back Triple Crowns this season and trying to get a leg up on the competition by trying some different things in camp.

“I had great legs last year,” Chase said. “Like I said, I love to work. At the end of the day, I get to work on stuff that I didn’t work on last year and getting that real feel from the DB and working on certain things that I wanted to do this year. I get a chance to do it in camp now instead of just doing it in games.”

Some of the things he missed out in during the 2024 offseason workout program – which he also skipped – and training camp he had to catch up on quickly over the first couple games.

Chase got off to a slow start individually, but was back to full speed by Week 3 when he caught six passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-33 loss to Washington. He finished with 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns on 127 receptions and earned his fourth Pro Bowl honor in four NFL seasons.

“As All Pros, you would want to say that, yeah, there’s a reason you’re All-Pro at the end of the day and one of the best in the league, so you’re supposed to have an on and off switch and go out and do it,” Chase said.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Chase is a special talent who had been around enough before to know what he needed to do to get himself ready, but he’s using the time now to find ways to elevate his game to another level. Statistically, it will be hard to beat his 2024 numbers, but defenses are always evolving and finding new ways to stop elite receivers and Chase needs to do the same to beat the talented defensive backs on the schedule.

One thing he said he is working on that he couldn’t last year is getting the feel for how to set the defensive back up so he can slip into a blind spot. Preseason, when starters are expected to play more snaps than past year, also will be a chance to both work on new things and refine tools already in his belt.

“I try to work against a certain look, certain looks I can work,” Chase said. “I can’t work against cloud or a man look or three or a slot look, so there’s not really a lot of looks where I get that. I need to work on it. When I see it, I have to immediately work on it when I see it.”

Bengals coach Zac Taylor said some players like Chase and Higgins, who they want to protect from injury or overuse ahead of a long season, will be managed some during camp, but Chase said he wants a full workload.

“I’m a workaholic,” Chase said. “I love to work. Joe asked me today, am I tired? I said, ‘Call the play while I’m tired.’ At the end of the day, when it’s the fourth quarter and I’m tired, they’re not going to ask me if I’m tired. It’s all about how hard you can push yourself at the end of the day, especially on days like this. As long as you get 1% better each day, that’s how you improve.”

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Chase already has been ranked as the top wide receiver in the NFL by a consensus of league executives, coaches, and scouts in a survey conducted by ESPN analysts. Asked about that, Chase quickly voiced his complaint with another rating that didn’t have him as high as he think he should have been.

EA Sports’ Madden NFL ’26 has Chase with an overall rating of 97, but he said it should be a 99.

“I called Chad (Johnson) right away and told him this was the wrong rating,” Chase said.

Perhaps there is more for Chase to prove in 2025.