When Ja’Marr Chase was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals as the first wide receiver off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft, there was some mixed reaction. Some thought the Bengals should have gone with OL Penei Sewell after Joe Burrow got beat up and, eventually, injured for the season due to a weak O-line. Others wanted the Bengals to go with the flashier pick of Ja’Marr Chase, Burrow’s LSU teammate.
The Bengals went for the flashy choice, leaving Sewell to be drafted by the Detroit Lions a couple picks later.
With the regular season around the corner, Chase’s showing in Cinci has been, well, underwhelming. He hasn’t had the separation facing NFL defensive backs that the Bengals may have been hoping for, but the main issue has been drops.
Ahead of Week 1, Chase discussed what he thought the issue was. After originally believing it was a lack of focus that was causing all the drops, he then went on to highlight a different contributing factor… the size and design of the ball.
The lack of white stripes on the ball are making these balls uncatchable for Chase? Well, that’s concerning. Fans weren’t very pleased with the excuse, believing it to be more of a lack of accountability than anything else.
