LOS ANGELES — Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Chase received the award Thursday during the NFL Honors, thanking his parents and teammates for helping him achieve this milestone. The rookie out of LSU also spoke about overcoming his preseason struggles.
"It didn't shatter me, it made me stronger," Chase said.
The Louisiana native caught 81 passes for 1,455 yards in the regular season, recording the most receiving yards by a rookie in one game during the Bengals' comeback win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17. Chase had 266 yards and three touchdowns on 11 receptions.
That wasn't the only NFL record Chase broke. He recorded the most receiving yards by a rookie in the Super Bowl era, topping former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson's performance in 2020. While he has only one touchdown in three postseason games, Chase continues to be an important part of Cincinnati's offense. At just 21, he is the youngest NFL player with multiple 100-yard receiving games in a single postseason.
Chase, running back Joe Mixon and defensive end Trey Hendrickson were selected to this year's Pro Bowl, but the three have a different 'bowl' on their mind this weekend as they prepare to take on the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
Chase is the first Bengals rookie since receiver Carl Pickens to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
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