feature-image

Imago

feature-image

Imago

The Cincinnati Bengals signed wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to a four-year contract extension just last year. He is one of the most electric playmakers in the league, especially when paired up with an equally talented quarterback in Joe Burrow. Down the line, Chase sees himself as part of two very elite clubs.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

“It’s a goal I have,” Chase said about his Hall of Fame aspirations on the Up & Adams show. “But I feel like it’s set in stone right now. You know, it’s keep going.”

ADVERTISEMENT

And man, has he been going.

Since being drafted in the first round in 2021, Chase has made the Pro Bowl in every single season. He is second among fellow receivers who’ve played for five seasons, with 520 receptions and 6,837 receiving yards. Chase, with only 75 career games, is fifth on Cincinnati’s all-time receiver leaderboard. Everyone in the Top 10 has played more than 100 games.

ADVERTISEMENT

article-image

Imago

Chase’s resume has allowed him and a few others to be bold about his Hall of Fame chances. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote that though the WR is only 26, “it would be no surprise if Chase had already clinched his spot in Canton before turning 30.” He would have to wait five years after retiring to be eligible for the Hall of Fame, but should Chase continue his elite run, a spot in HoF is a lock.

ADVERTISEMENT

CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo offered a more measured take. He doesn’t consider Chase a lock for the Hall of Fame, but he’s definitely there thanks to his hot start and the 2024 ‘triple crown’ (league-wide leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns).

What is needed here is consistency and dedication. In 2025, wide receivers coach Troy Walters said in a presser he was confident he was coaching a future Hall of Famer, having played with five in his own career. And when it comes to dedication, Chase is a natural. One look at his strict regimen and crazy workout routines will settle that debate. Fellow receiver Isaiah Williams told Bengals insider Geoff Hobson that Chase could be targeted with 30,000 passes one week, and the next.

ADVERTISEMENT

“[I have a]Fear of being mediocre,” Chase told Hobson. “I don’t want to be average.”

In his five-year career so far, Ja’Marr Chase has already set the single-game touchdown record and clinched the triple crown. Now, Chase is locked in on ticking the next record off his checklist.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ja’Marr Chase sets sights on Randy Moss’ historic record

Perhaps the most realistic goal for Ja’Marr Chase is breaking Randy Moss’ 2007 record for most single-season touchdowns.

ADVERTISEMENT

“The only goal that I have for myself going forward now is just to get 22, 23 touchdowns,” Chase told NFL Network on August 9. “I want to break the record with that.”

Technically, he would be tying Rice’s record with 23 scores; he’ll need one more to beat the former WR. So far, the highest Chase has gone is 17, currently tied for fourth in that race. He and Rams star Davante Adams are the only two active players at the top.

Chase had a down year last season, as Burrow went out with an injury. He finished with only eight touchdowns last season, the second-lowest total in his career. He will have to score three times as many in the 2026 season if he does want to script the record this year. But it is a tall order.

ADVERTISEMENT

If Ja’Marr Chase manages to score 24 touchdowns, he will firmly put himself in Hall of Fame conversations.

ADVERTISEMENT

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Soheli Tarafdar

4,155 Articles

Soheli Tarafdar is the Lead College Football Writer at EssentiallySports, anchoring the ES Marquee Saturdays Live NewsCenter. In this role, she leads real-time coverage on game days, delivering breaking news and insights as the action unfolds. Some of her most popular work has come from digging into locker room chatter and social media clues that reveal the stories behind the scoreboards. She joined EssentiallySports with a strong grasp of college football circuits and a genuine love for the game. What began as a fan’s voice has grown into a career shaped by sharp reporting and impactful storytelling. Soheli also continues to refine her voice as part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, helping drive a fan-first approach to football coverage.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Afreen Kabir

ADVERTISEMENT