Father of Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase wanted different team to draft him

Ja'Marr Chase believes he became the NFL's best overall wide receiver with the Cincinnati Bengals, but his father originally wished his son's professional career started differently. 

As Matt Audilet noted for The Spun, Jimmy Chase, Ja'Marr's father, recently appeared on the "Bengals Booth Podcast" and explained how and why he wanted the 2021 first-round draft pick to end up with the Miami Dolphins. 

"I was like, 'I don’t know anything about Cincinnati and they’re not that good right now. So, why don’t we just go to South Beach, right?' I could just go sit on the beach and watch Ja’Marr on the team, right?" Jimmy said. 

The Dolphins held the sixth overall pick in 2021 and, thus, were watching the process play out when the Bengals swooped in and selected Ja'Marr Chase at No. 5. Reuniting with college quarterback Joe Burrow ultimately worked out just fine for Chase, as he earned 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and a pair of Pro Bowl selections across his first two NFL seasons. 

Jimmy Chase can now joke that even his son's relationship with Burrow wasn't enough to excite him about Cincinnati a couple of years ago. 

"I said, 'I like Joe and everything, but, Cincinnati, Ja’Marr? I don’t know about all that,'" Jimmy Chase added during the conversation. 

The combination of Ja'Marr Chase and Burrow guided the Bengals to a berth in Super Bowl LVI and an appearance in the AFC Championship Game this past January. As of Wednesday afternoon, OddsChecker listed the Bengals fifth among betting favorites at +1100 odds to win Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024. 

Earlier in the offseason, Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase talked about remaining teammates with the Bengals beyond just their rookie contracts. As much as Jimmy Chase likely would've enjoyed life in South Beach, his son undeniably is thriving in "The Queen City" ahead of his third pro campaign.