When Zac Taylor said he wouldn’t trade Joe Burrow for any player in the universe, he was on to something. Because the Bengals’ quarterback combined with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in 2024 is approaching an extra-terrestrial accomplishment.
Burrow and Chase can become the first teammates in the league-merger era (1970-present) to finish a season leading the NFL in passing yards, touchdown passes, receiving yards and touchdown catches, according to Doug Clawson of CBS Sports.
The Bengals (8-8) have plenty on the line in Pittsburgh (10-6) on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC). They need a win combined with Denver and Miami losses on Sunday to sneak into the playoffs. Plus, running back Chase Brown (ankle) is a game-time decision and may not play. That means Burrow will look for Chase early and often.
Burrow (42) enters Week 18 up by three touchdown passes over Baker Mayfield (39) and Lamar Jackson (39), who plays earlier on Saturday against Cleveland with both an MVP and AFC North crown on the line. Mayfield also has a division up for grabs on Sunday. Burrow (4,641) begins the week up by 243 in the passing-yards category over Jared Goff (4,398) and likely would need to wait until late Sunday night for the conclusion of Goff’s showdown with the Vikings.
Chase (1,612) might need to wait until the end of that Vikings game, too. In a race with former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson (1,479), Chase has a 133-yard advantage entering the weekend. With 16 touchdown receptions, Chase leads the league by four over Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown and Washington’s Terry McLaurin.
The quadruple crown duet, as Clawson dubbed it, has a bonus. Chase (117) also has a prime opportunity to lead the league in receptions; he’s eight ahead of St. Brown (109) and nine better than rookie Brock Bowers (108). Should he pace the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches, Chase would become the fifth player ever to accomplish that. Only Cooper Kupp (2021), Steve Smith (2005), Sterling Sharpe (1992) and Jerry Rice (1990) have done it.
The Burrow-Chase explosion, unfortunately, figures to cement the end of Tee Higgins’ time in Cincinnati. Higgins is a free agent after this season and expected to command significant dollars on the open market. That combined with the Bengals’ need to lock up Chase to a long-term contract is expected to consume too much of the team’s salary cap to keep both receivers in Cincinnati.
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