During a 34-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase tallied an impressive 266 yards receiving. That was good enough to set the NFL’s all-time rookie record for receiving yards in a single game.
Furthermore, those 266 yards gave Chase 1,429 receiving yards on the season. That is a rookie record in the Super Bowl era (Bill Groman had 1,473 in 1960 for the Houston Oilers).
But the record is a little extra sweet for Chase. Not only did it wipe out any memory of his preseason struggles, it also surpassed his former college teammate and close friend, Justin Jefferson, who had previously held the rookie record with 1,400 yards.
“It meant a lot,” Chase said during an appearance on The Herd. “It was a goal of mine. I had written it down and stuck it on my mirror … in college. It’s been with me ever since. Now, I get to go back and call Justin and rub it in his face a little bit.”
It’s all in good fun, though.
“That’s my guy. This is something we always talked about. It’s just a blessing to have the opportunity to be in this position,” Chase added.
Chase may have broken Jefferson’s all-time rookie record but the Minnesota Vikings wide receiver still has one up on his former LSU teammate. With one game remaining, Jefferson has 1,509 yards to Chase’s 1,429 yards.
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