The Cincinnati Bengals enter NFL training camp with some of the biggest questions in the league. Trey Hendrickson still has not practiced as he negotiates a new contract. But the offense is ready to go with newly-paid wide receivers and a superstar quarterback. Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase is being used in different ways at training camp, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler thinks that will open him up even more.
“The Bengals line up Chase all over the field, and that's not changing — in fact, my sense coming out of my camp visit is that Cincinnati will only expand that process. He's going to line up all over the field in efforts to loosen defenses that will allocate more resources to him this season,” Fowler wrote.
Chase won the receiver triple crown last year, with the league high in catches, yards, and touchdowns. His 1708-yard, 17-touchdown performance made him a first-team All-Pro. He earned a massive contract extension with that season and should be one of the top receivers in the league.
The Bengals have high expectations coming into the NFL season again, but last year should leave a lot of questions. They won only nine games despite the great season from Chase and Burrow, missing the postseason. Their defense let them down, finishing 25th in points allowed last season.
There is only so much room for Chase to rise in his statistics. If he puts together another season similar to his 2024 campaign, he would be a legit MVP and Offensive Player of the Year contender again. But the defense needs to step up for there to be any team success in the Queen City this year.
The Bengals open their preseason against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday. Their regular season begins on September 7 on the road against the Cleveland Browns. What will Chase's season look like in 2025?
