The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Ja'Marr Chase with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft with expectations that he would immediately have an impact.
One thing that has had an impact on the rookie so far, the difference in the football's used in the NFL compared to college. It's something Chase brought up on the Bengals' team website.
“The ball is different because it is bigger,” Chase said. “It doesn't have the white stripes on the side so you can't see the ball coming from the tip point so you actually have to look for the strings on the ball at the top, which is hard to see because whole ball is brown and you have the six strings that are white. But for the most part, just have to get used to it and find out what I am comfortable with catching.”
After a slow preseason which featured some uncharacteristic drops, Chase is now laser focused on the regular season with the Bengals.
Chase will suit up for the Bengals and it will be the first time he plays in a game that counts since he last stepped on the field for LSU two years ago. Chase opted out of last season and chose to focus on the draft. Sitting out for so long may have played a part in the slow start to the preseason for the rookie.
“I don't want to blame it on me sitting on my butt the whole year, but it probably had something to do with it, of course,” Chase said. “There's a bigger ball adjustment, so I don't want to make excuses but I've just got to be a pro and make the catch.”
Expectations from the Bengals are high for Chase and he has all the talent in the world to make that No. 5 pick well worth it for Cincinnati.
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