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Tag: Ja'Marr Chase

  • Ja’Marr Chase breaks silence on Joe Burrow’s concerning retirement hint

    The Cincinnati Bengals are already in a precarious position, sitting at 4-9, three games back of the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6) and just outside of the playoff picture.

    That’s why Joe Burrow’s surprising comments during Wednesday’s media session sent shockwaves through the NFL.

    Burrow, returning from a turf-toe absence that limited most of his 2025 season, said he’s been “doing some reflection” and that if football stops being fun, he has to reassess why he’s playing.

    “If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it,” Burrow said. “I’ve been through a lot, and if it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for. That’s the mindset I’m trying to bring to the table.”

    Ja’Marr Chase, Burrow’s longtime friend and college teammate at LSU, was asked about the comments on Thursday.

    “I thought this was an AI,” Chase said. “At the end of the day, I see him the same every day. To me, he loves football. But that’s a him question. I can’t answer that for him.”

    “From what I see, I see the same person every day. He comes to work. He loves work. He doesn’t look like he’s bummed to be here… Honestly, nothing’s wrong with a little emotion at the end of the day, especially coming back from injury. The man loves the game.”

    “The narrative that y’all are trying to paint on him right now, I don’t see it,” Chase added.

    Through Week 14, Burrow has thrown for 734 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions across four appearances, including a recent 284-yard, four-TD performance against Buffalo.

    Yet the Bengals are 4-9, hampered by one of the league’s worst defenses and significant injuries to core players, including Tee Higgins (concussion, questionable) and Trey Hendrickson (hip/pelvis, placed on IR).

    After their 2021 Super Bowl appearance, the Bengals, led by Burrow and Chase, went 12-4 in 2022 before posting back-to-back 9-8 seasons in 2023 and 2024, and now sit on the verge of their first losing campaign since 2020.

    That backdrop helps explain why Burrow’s quiet line about “fun” drew outsized attention.

    Read More: Chiefs’ Chris Jones Makes Strong Patrick Mahomes Statement With Season on the Line

    Read More: Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes Face Concerning Injury News Before Chargers Game

    At this point, the Bengals’ only realistic playoff path requires winning out and getting help elsewhere.

    Their next four opponents — Baltimore, Miami, Arizona, and Cleveland — include two teams still fighting for seeding and one familiar divisional test (Baltimore) that effectively decides whether Cincinnati remains alive.

    Given the circumstances, ESPN recently gave the Bengals a mere 3% chance of making the playoffs.

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  • Feeling like his old self again, Chris Godwin is flourishing in Tampa Bay’s offense

    Feeling like his old self again, Chris Godwin is flourishing in Tampa Bay’s offense

    TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Chris Godwin is back, even if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver who’s a model of consistency never actually went away.

    But nearly three years removed from a serious knee injury he feels is finally behind him, the longtime sidekick of Mike Evans is flourishing like never before.

    Entering play Sunday, Godwin led the NFL in receptions (43), ranked third in receiving yards (511) and was tied for the league lead in touchdown receptions (five) with Evans, Ja’Marr Chase, George Kittle and Allen Lazard.

    The Bucs (4-2), coming off a 51-point outburst against New Orleans in which Godwin had 11 catches for 125 yards and two TDs, host the Baltimore Ravens (4-2) on Monday night.

    Godwin’s strong start has followed an offseason in which he grieved the death of his father while also preparing for a move to slot receiver on the field, a role he filled earlier in his career.

    The position change has also helped the Bucs’ rejuvenated running game, which is benefitting from Godwin being an excellent blocker.

    “I think what I learned over the last four or five years, I’m really comfortable there. … It allows me to be involved in other ways instead of just catching the ball,” Godwin said.

    A third-round draft pick of the Bucs in 2017, Godwin is a four-time 1,000-yard receiver whose accomplishments are sometimes overshadowed by the remarkable consistency of Evans, the only receiver in NFL history to begin a career with 10 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

    Godwin was closing in on 100 receptions in December 2021, when a severe knee injury ended his season with 98 catches for 1,103 yards.

    And although he recovered well enough to catch 104 passes in 2022 and top 1,000 yards each of the past two seasons, it took Godwin until this year to begin feeling like he’s truly back.

    “I mean, he’s helping as much in the run game as he is in the pass game. … His (performance) speaks for itself,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said, reflecting on Tampa Bay rushing for 277 of the franchise-record 594 yards the Bucs gained at New Orleans.

    On one of his two touchdowns against the Saints, Godwin took a short reception from Baker Mayfield, broke two tackles and turned it into a 55-yard scoring play.

    Entering Sunday, Godwin led the NFL in yards after catch with 335, including 105 of the 125 yards receiving he had at New Orleans.

    “He’s healthy, he’s competitive, he’s out there having fun. He’s running, he’s catching, he’s blocking,” Bowles said. “You’ve seen the best of what Chris Godwin has right now.”

    Baltimore, which has won four straight following an 0-2 start, has the NFL’s top-ranked run defense. The Ravens are 31st against the pass and will be tested by Evans and Godwin, who coach John Harbaugh said pose “tremendous matchup problems.”

    “You single (Evans) up, he’s a problem. And then you have (Godwin) in the slot — if you single him up, he’s a problem,” Harbaugh said. “They’re both catch-and-run players; they’re both contested-catch players.”

    With Mayfield also off to a strong start in first-year offensive coordinator’s Liam Coen’s system, the Bucs have a top 10 offense and are averaging 29.7 points per game.

    One of the keys has been getting playmakers other than Godwin and Evans involved. Rookie Bucky Irving is the team’s leading rusher, and second-year pro Sean Tucker figures to get more playing time against the Ravens after scoring twice and accumulating 192 yards from scrimmage last week.

    “It’s one thing when a guy is going off because you feed the hot hand, right? But, if we’re able to spread the ball around, everybody gets involved,” Godwin said.

    “And then as the game progresses, you have so much more at your disposal than just the handful of plays that were working early on,” the receiver added. “So, when a team makes adjustments, now you have answers for it.”

    Just don’t ever expect the Bucs to forget Godwin is one of the answers.

    “Chris is a reliable guy,” said Mayfield, who marvels at the consistency of both Godwin and Evans, Tampa Bay’s career receiving and scoring leader.

    “It’s how smart he is, understanding the defense and the coverages, understanding what we’re trying to get done within our own concepts, and (he’s) a guy that is all about winning,” Mayfield said. “He’s playing really well, feels good (and) we have to keep him going.”

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  • Bengals offense starting to click entering Week 5 showdown against rival Ravens

    Bengals offense starting to click entering Week 5 showdown against rival Ravens

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Despite their 1-3 start, the Cincinnati Bengals are starting to play better with a big challenge set for next week.

    Joe Burrow is making smart decisions, displaying poise in the pocket along with accuracy. Ja’Marr Chase again resembles one of the league’s top playmakers after an offseason of contract dispute, and running mate Tee Higgins is rounding into form after missing the first two weeks with an injury.

    And then there’s the Bengals running game.

    Second-year back Chase Brown picked up 80 yards on 15 carries and ran for the first two touchdowns of his career in Sunday’s 34-24 win over Carolina, while Zack Moss added 51 yards on the ground and caught four passes for 27 yards and a score helping to soften the blow from the trade of Joe Mixon.

    After being held to 11 yards rushing in the first half, the Bengals had 130 yards on the ground after intermission to take control of the game.

    “We’re explosive,” Brown said. “I mean, we can put up 30 points against anybody. That’s our mindset.”

    Burrow finished 22 of 31 for 232 yards with two touchdowns and one interception coming on a miscommunication with Chase. But over the past two games Burrow and Chase have mostly been on the same page, hooking up 13 times for 203 yards and three touchdowns.

    It’s probably no coincidence that Chase’s increased production have coincided with the return of Higgins, who takes added pressure off the team’s No. 1 wideout.

    “We’ve been moving around, making plays,” Chase said. “The team looked pretty good starting out the first half, which is what we needed, someone to keep the momentum up for us, and all around everybody is making plays.”

    The Bengals have now increased their point total with each game and Burrow said the offense is now “playing at a high level.”

    The amount of playmakers has coach Zac Taylor excited about the future, especially with Burrow at quarterback.

    “There are certainly plays where we are trying to target key guys,” Taylor said. “If they take them away defensively with whatever they’re doing, Joe progresses and finds the next option. There are so people that can make plays for us. About everyone in that game made critical plays for us in big moments. And the line is playing its tails off, giving great protection so Joe feels like he can call anything.”

    Of course, few things make an NFL coach happier than the ability to run the ball late in a game and burn the clock.

    The Bengals did just that on Sunday.

    Leading by seven with 4:23 left, the Bengals ran the ball nine straight times to move into field-goal range for Evan McPherson, who made it a two-possession game with a 46-yarder with 1:17 remaining.

    “No doubt it was important,” Brown said. “They were stacking up the box, they were gapped out. We know what’s coming. We play for those moments in those four-minute situations and we know we just want to put points up at the end. The thing is, you keep the rock on our side and kick the field goal to really push on the dagger at the end.”

    The win gives the Bengals some needed momentum heading into an important home game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

    “We knew we needed this one this week, especially going into a divisional game next week,” Brown said. “We just want to carry that momentum and that energy into next week and the rest of the season and just continue this style of football.”

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    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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  • Receivers Extended Around The League – Eagles One Step Ahead – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Receivers Extended Around The League – Eagles One Step Ahead – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    When you get things done ahead of 31 other teams in the league, there’s always a reward.

    For Howie Roseman and the Eagles, it’s a sigh of relief knowing your star players under contract for the next 2-6 years. And they’ve managed to save MILLIONS while doing so.
    Back in April, the Eagles extended multiple players. Now that the ink has dried on those contracts. It was about time the rest of the league got around to paying some of the other superstars.

    Eagles Remain Ahead

    In April, the Eagles signed their star receivers to two massive extensions.

    • April 15th,  DeVonta Smith, 3-year, $75M + 5th year option
    • April 25th, A.J. Brown, 3-year, $96M

    These contracts don’t come without merit, below has been the duos stat line the last two seasons.

    • DeVonta Smith – 33GP, 2,262Rec Yards, 14TD
    • A.J. Brown – 34GP, 2,952Rec Yards, 18TD

    While these may have been the first few receivers to be paid this off-season, they certainly weren’t the biggest paydays handed out in recent signings.

     

    This Weeks Extensions

    In the last few days. Multiple receivers have gotten contract extensions with their current team, including:

    Let’s see how these recent contracts compare with base stats of the following two seasons in comparison to the Eagles duo

    • Nico Collins – 24GP, 1,778Rec Yards, 10TD
    • Jaylen Waddle – 31GP, 2,370Rec Yards, 12TD

    When comparing to the Collins deal things might look great. Keep in mind that’s only 1 season with C.J. Stroud as the Texans Quarterback. Things might change in the upcoming season as well, with the addition of Stefon Diggs as well as the hopeful return for Tank Dell’s sophomore season.

    The same goes for looking at Waddle’s deal. Similar to DeVonta Smith who’s in a WR2 role behind Brown/Tyreek Hill. DeVonta Smith has put up similar numbers (108 less yards) and will be getting paid nearly $10M less across the 3 years of his deal. With these new contracts for star studded teams, which receiver would you rather in this scenario?

     

    Past Deals

    Of course these weren’t the only Receivers to break the bank this off-season, in fact multiple have already seen their new deals come through, including:

    • March 11th, Michael Pittman Jr, 3-year, $70M
    • April 24th, Amon-Ra St. Brown, 4-year, $120.01M
    • March 13th, Calvin Ridley, 4-year, $92M

    Of course with their payday, comes the stats. How does this other batch of receivers hold up to the last 4?

    • Michael Pittman Jr. – 32GP, 2,077Rec Yards, 8TD
    • Amon-Ra St. Brown – 32GP, 2,676Rec Yards, 16TD
    • Calvin Ridley – 17GP, 1,016Rec Yards, 8TD

    Even if Calvin Ridley had played the 2022 season. His numbers would still be somewhere between Pittman and DeVonta Smith. Depending on what team he had gone to, Ridley could have surpassed the 1,200 mark with ease.

    With all these receivers being under contract for the next 3-5 Years. You’d think that means the rest of the big names due in the upcoming year have seen new deals? For some, that’s not the case.

     

    No Contract In Sight?

    Also from the 2021 Draft class with Smith and Waddle, is Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase. Entering his 4th season, Chase has put up the following his last two years as a Bengal:

    • Ja’Marr Chase – 28GP, 2,262Rec Yards, 16TD

    Without a contract, the Bengals have exercised their $21.8M 5th year option for the following season. It will be hard to deny Chase of an extension. Even without Joe Burrow for lengthy periods, Chase has still been able to have success.

    But in the NFC, there’s two more names struggling for a payday.

    • CeeDee Lamb – 34GP, 3,108Rec Yards, 21TD
    • Justin Jefferson – 27GP, 2,883Rec Yards, 13TD

    Seeing every other team continue to lock up receivers might be good for the players, but certainly not the teams. A.J and Amon-Ra’s deals are going to be the closest comparison for this duo to get paid. And if they’re trying to takeover the #1 and #2 spot for highest paid receivers, teams will be looking to pay north of $30M to keep these players under contract.

     

    After all the deals and carousel doors of acquiring younger receivers, what contracts would you offer these players who might be left still bargaining for a deal come next off-season?

     

     

    Photo Credit: Rich Schultz / AP Photo

    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • Setting The WR Market, Eagles Extend DeVonta Smith – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Setting The WR Market, Eagles Extend DeVonta Smith – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Eagles front office has done it again.

    After speculation that the Eagles would be paying their WR2 next after agreeing to a 3-year $66M extension with Jordan Mailata just two weeks ago. News finally broke on Monday that not only would DeVonta Smith’s 5th year be picked up, but it also came with a nifty 3-year extension.

    The Eagles will now have the following players on the offense under contract through 2026:

    • QB Jalen Hurts
    • QB Kenny Pickett
    • WR A.J. Brown
    • WR DeVonta Smith
    • RB Saquon Barkley
    • LT Jordan Mailata
    • LG Landon Dickerson
    • OL Tyler Steen
    • RT Lane Johnson

    Not a bad thing to have 8 offensive starters under contract for the next 3 seasons!

    But how did the Eagles get all these top tier players under contract without being well over the cap? (like the Saints have been for years)

     

    Ahead Of The League

    This is now back to back off-seasons where Howie Roseman and co. have been able to extend franchise cornerstone players before the other 31 teams in the league came to terms with their counterparts.

    QB Frenzy

    Starting with Jalen Hurts on April 17th 2023. A 5 year, $255M contract was signed ahead of the following quarterbacks

    • Joe Burrow – 5 years, $275M signed on September 7th 2023
    • Justin Herbert – 5 years, $262.5M signed on July 25th 2023
    • Lamar Jackson – 5 years, $260M signed on April 27th 2023

     

    Offensive Line Mania

    Not only did the Eagles get away with drafting Jordan Mailata in the 7th round of the 2018 draft. They’ve now extended him. Twice! While doing so, the Eagles have gotten ahead by signing Mailata to a 3 year, $66M deal. Now under contract until 2029.

    There weren’t many Offensive Tackles looking to be signed this off-season, but getting an extra 3 years from Mailata at $22M was perfect value giving some previously signed OT’s including:

    • Laremy Tunsil – 3 year, $75M signed on March 19th 2023
    • Andrew Thomas – 5 year, $117.5M signed on July 26th 2023

    However, this was the perfect market to get the Left Tackle signed for those extra years. Because the following will be due for a 5th year option and probable extensions in the next year.

    • Penei Sewell – drafted 7th overall 2021
    • Rashawn Slater – drafted 11th overall 2021
    • Ronnie Stanley – 5 year, $98.75M signed in 2020

     

    Setting The WR Market

    And that’s exactly how the Eagles have set the WR market with DeVonta Smith’s new deal.

    Had the Eagles not worked as quickly as possible on this deal. They would’ve been at risk of the following Receivers potentially getting record breaking deals done first.

    Since we don’t have contract money for these other receivers, let’s keep it simple and compare Yards/TDs.

    • DeVonta Smith – 50GP, 3,178 Rec Yards, 19 TD. signed a 3 year, $75M deal.
    • Justin Jefferson – 60GP, 5,899 Rec Yards, 30 TD. On a 5th year option for $19.74M
    • Ja’Marr Chase – 45GP, 3,717 Rec Yards, 29 TD. 
    • Tee Higgins – 53GP, 3,684 Rec Yards, 24TD. On a $21.8M Franchise Tag
    • CeeDee Lamb – 61GP, 5,145 Rec Yards, 32TD. On a 5th year option for $17.99M

     

    With DeVonta Smith’s extension checked off the offseason to-do list. The next big milestone will be the draft. Just one week away.

     

    Who do you have the Birds taking at 22nd?

     

     

    Photo Credit: Matt Slocum / AP Photo

     

     

    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • AP source: Bengals star WR Chase out weeks with hip injury

    AP source: Bengals star WR Chase out weeks with hip injury

    Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase could miss several games with a hip injury, a person familiar with his condition told The Associated Press on Thursday.

    Chase has been bothered by the hip for several weeks. It’s possible he could wind up on injured reserve, but that hasn’t been decided, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the Bengals are not commenting on Chase’s condition.

    ESPN reported Chase will miss four to six weeks.

    Chase was held out of practice Thursday as the Bengals (4-3) continued preparing for Monday night’s game at Cleveland.

    Chase was initially bothered by the hip in Cincinnati’s Oct. 16 game at New Orleans. He played in last week’s win against Atlanta, finishing with eight catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

    On Thursday, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said only that Chase was dealing with a hip issue and his status was day to day.

    The loss of Chase for any period would be a blow for the defending AFC champions, who have won four of five following an 0-2 start. If Chase has to go on IR, he would be out a minimum of four weeks.

    In his second season, the 22-year-old Chase has 47 receptions for 605 yards and six TDs. As a rookie, Chase, who played with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow at LSU, had 81 catches for 1,455 yards and 19 scores.

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