The Cincinnati Bengals stayed alive in the AFC playoff race thanks to Saturday’s win over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. They also enjoyed a potentially historic step forward from star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who extended his franchise record for single-season yards while putting himself on track to become just the fifth player in modern NFL history to lead the league in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
With 10 catches for 96 yards and a score against Pittsburgh, the Pro Bowl pass catcher finishes the 2024 regular season with a career-high 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. The 24-year-old Chase had already broken his own team record for most receiving yards in a season, previously set as a rookie in 2021, but is now 229 yards ahead of Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson, his former LSU teammate and the next-closest receiver in terms of 2024 yards.
Jefferson is due to play Sunday night against the Detroit Lions in the Vikings’ critical NFC North rematch, but provided he doesn’t hit 230 yards, Chase is set to join Cooper Kupp (2021), Steve Smith (2005), Sterling Sharpe (1992) and Jerry Rice (1990) as “Triple Crown” receivers since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The next-closest wideouts entering the rest of Week 18 have 12 scores to his 17, and 109 catches to his 127.
Chase is already the first receiver in NFL history to eclipse both 1,700 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns in a single season thanks to his performance Saturday night.
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