Ja’Marr Chase is coming off a stellar rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In his first professional season, the No. 5 overall draft pick put together an Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign behind 81 catches for 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.
While his production in 2021 was about as good as it gets for a rookie wide receiver, the Bengals are expecting to use him even more this coming season.
On Tuesday, Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters noted that Chase could be used in a variety of ways this coming season — including out of the backfield.
“He’s going to be all over the field,” Walters said, per Geoff Hobson of the Bengals’ website. “We’re going to use him as many ways as we can. He’s a quick learner … That’s what great players want to do. They want to play everywhere.
“They understand the value of moving around and how you stress defenses sometimes in the slot. You don’t want defenses to focus on you.”
“He’s embraced that challenge. Just find a way to create mismatches.”
It’s becoming increasingly popular in the NFL to utilize athletically-dynamic wide receivers as rushers out of the backfield (ie. Deebo Samuel with the San Francisco 49ers). Chase only logged seven rushing attempts for 21 yards this past season, but those numbers could take a significant spike in 2022.
The second-year wideout also plans on lining up more as a slot receiver this coming season. “It’s going to make our offense more explosive,” Chase said. “If we sit in there like robots and stay in the same position, they’re going to expect what’s coming. That’s why you move around.”
What kind of year are you expecting out of Chase in 2022?
