During the 2022 NFL Honors ceremony, Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase took home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. In a tightly contested race between Chase and New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, Chase’s record-breaking numbers were enough to convince voters. Chase was also awarded PFN’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Ja’Marr Chase wins 2021 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
A huge part of the Bengals’ offensive success this year has been the play of Chase, especially in the second half of the season. If we rewind back to the 2021 NFL Draft, dozens of pundits criticized Cincinnati for taking a WR over an offensive lineman, especially after the devastating injury quarterback Joe Burrow suffered last season.
However, reuniting Burrow with former LSU teammate Chase looks to have been the right move considering the Bengals are about to play in Super Bowl 56. Have the Bengals continued to have offensive line issues? Yes, that is hard to argue. But, the offense has found ways to work around it to find success.
Behind Chase’s exceptional year, the Bengals’ offense finished seventh in total points scored (tied with the Rams with 460), 13th in offensive yards (6,145), and seventh in TDs scored (54).
Chase’s exceptional rookie season by the numbers
On his way to winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Chase finished the season with 81 catches for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. Those 1,455 yards were enough to pass Justin Jefferson for the most receiving yards by a rookie in the Super Bowl era. Jefferson held the old record for only one season (1,400).
According to Bengals.com, Chase also broke a number of team records. His 13 receiving touchdowns were the most ever for a Bengals rookie, surpassing the old record of 9 set by Isaac Curtis in 1973. His 81 receptions were the most ever by a Bengals rookie as well, surpassing Tee Higgins’ 67 back in 2020. He also had the most 100-yard receiving games in Cincinnati by a rookie (5), passing A.J. Green’s 2011 record (4).
In addition to breaking all of those team records, Chase landed near the top in a number of general NFL stats. He was third in the league in receiving TDs, fourth in receiving yards, and tied for ninth in scoring.
Earlier this week, Chase added more hardware to his trophy case by being named 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA). Chase was the first Cincinnati player to be selected Offensive Rookie of the Year by the PFWA.
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