Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson is predicting one of his successors to have a monster season. Johnson backed Ja’Marr Chase to have two thousand yards and more than 20 touchdowns next season.
Chad Johnson Sets Massive Expectations on Ja’Marr Chase Next Season
Johnson replied to a post on X, formerly Twitter, by @PFF with the caption “Ja’Marr Chase is set to run the gauntlet in 2025 ”. The tweet included a graphic that highlights 10 cornerbacks that will be tasked with stopping Chase this year.
Johnson, the all-time receiving leader in Bengals history, replied to the post with his prediction. Johnson replied: “2k yards & 23 tds”
Posting a 2,000 receiving yard season, plus scoring 23 touchdowns, would be a monster season for Chase. That production would be great, considering his new contract, and would surely mean good things for quarterback Joe Burrow and the team’s goals of returning to the Super Bowl.
Remember that time Ja’Marr Chase scored 55.4 fantasy points 👀 pic.twitter.com/1t5T9c7kFe
— Sleeper (@SleeperHQ)
The first cornerback that Chase will match up against is Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. He will then face Travis Hunter, the second overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars, in Week 2. In Week 4, Chase will battle against 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain of the Denver Broncos.
His competition does not get much easier as the season goes on. Week 6 sees a battle between Chase and two-time All-Pro Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers. Sauce Gardner and the New York Jets take the stand in Week 8, then Jaylon Johnson on the Chicago Bears in Week 9.
Chase will then have a run against Christian Gonzalez of the New England Patriots in Week 12. Then, Chase will have to be at his best against the division rival Marlon Humphrey and the Baltimore Ravens in weeks 13 and 15. Those two games could very well determine the winner of the AFC North.
If Chase meets Johnson’s targets, it would be the greatest single season by a wide receiver in history. The current record for most receiving yards in a season is held by Calvin Johnson, who had 1,964 receiving yards for the Detroit Lions in 2012. The receiving touchdowns record is 17, a mark set by both Chase (last season) and Randy Moss (2003). 23 is a high mark to reach next season, and will surely be close to impossible for a future reciver to beat down the road.
Chase Could Topple Johnson as All-time Bengals’ Receiving Leader
Chase is already on a trajectory to become an all-time great in the sport. He has 5,425 receiving yards in just four seasons and is on track to overtake Johnson, the current all-time franchise leader in receiving yards, in year eight if he keeps up the current trajectory. He is also already fifth all-time in franchise history in receiving touchdowns with 46, and could catch Johnson’s 66 touchdowns this season if Johnson’s prediction comes true.
After some uncertainty surrounding Chase’s future in Cincinnati, the star wideout is set to stay with the Bengals for the foreseeable future after signing a record-setting four-year, $161 million contract this offseason. $112 million is guaranteed, and the deal was the biggest given to a non-quarterback in history.