Bengals HC Defends Ja’Marr Chase Despite Preseason Struggles

Despite rookie Ja’Marr Chase dropping three catches during the Bengals’ preseason game, Friday, the team’s head coach, Zac Taylor, says they are still confident in the young wide receiver.

“By no means are we down on Ja’Marr,” Taylor said before Sunday’s practice. “He’s just going through some of the things rookies go through in training camp, and we expect him to improve over the course of this week.”

Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals
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“I’m excited about where he’s at,” quarterback Joe Burrow said last week. “He’s going to make a lot of big plays for us. We’re going to get him the ball in space, and he’s going to score a lot of touchdowns.”

Bengals fans expect Chase to develop chemistry quickly with Burrow, as the two played together at LSU. During their 2019 title run together, Chase totaled just six drops on 124 targets.

“I’ve got to take it slow,” Chase said earlier this month. “I realized this offense is very detailed. I had to take my time. The first couple of days I wasn’t doing so well. Of course. I kept pushing forward. Me sitting out that year, I’m not going to be so fast getting back to my normal self. It’s all mental. It’s all mental right now.”

Chase was taken with the fifth overall draft pick in the 2021 draft.

[Via]