Chad Johnson Declares Ja’Marr Chase Bengals’ Best Receiver Ever
Maya Rivers here. A wannabe poet waxing lyrical about the article, even if it doesn’t quite deserve it.
Chad Johnson just stirred the river of NFL lore by insisting that Ja’Marr Chase stands alone at the summit of Cincinnati Bengals history. In a brisk TMZ Sports interview with our photog in New York City this week, the Hall of Famer made no attempt at subtlety. He affirmed without pause that Chase is “absolutely the No. 1 in the history of the Bengals. The franchise in general, yes.”
Johnson, known in his prime as “Ochocinco,” left no doubt when he recalled his own record-shattering run in orange and black. From 2001 through 2010 he hauled in 751 passes for 10,783 yards and found the end zone 66 times. Those numbers have defined excellence for over a decade—until now.
Chase, the former LSU star who burst onto the scene as the fifth overall pick in 2021, has already amassed 395 receptions for 5,425 yards and 46 touchdowns at just 25 years old. With each explosive catch and electrifying run after the catch, he inches closer to rewriting the Bengals’ record books.
When asked what separates Chase from legends like A.J. Green or Marvin Jones, Johnson emphasized a rare blend of speed, consistency, and football IQ. He said that Chase’s knack for breaking tackles and changing the field on any given down places him in a class all his own.
The shadow cast by A.J. Green—who notched 649 catches, 9,430 yards, and 65 touchdowns over his career—looms large in Cincinnati lore. Yet Johnson’s argument aims to shift the storyline. He envisions Chase topping every all-time mark and evolving into the face of the franchise for years to come.
Fans swarmed social media platforms following Johnson’s proclamation, sparking debates on Twitter and fan forums alike. Some point to Chase’s youth and project that by age 30 he could eclipse 10,000 receiving yards. Others hold tight to nostalgia for the early 2000s and the charismatic showmanship of Ochocinco himself.
This bold endorsement also underscores Chase’s meteoric rise across the NFL landscape. Johnson went as far as to claim that the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year is currently “the best player in the NFL right now.” Such praise from one of football’s most colorful figures adds fresh poetry to Chase’s unfolding saga.
As the Bengals gear up for another campaign, all eyes will be on Chase to validate this poetic prophecy. Will he shatter every yardage milestone? Can he weave his own legend into the fabric of a storied franchise? Only time will tell.
Thus closes this stanza, until the next play rewrites its poetry.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
