Triple Crown discussions are usually linked to baseball and horse racing, but there is also a version in football.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was surprised when asked about wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase’s chances of achieving it.
“I know he’s first in just about everything right now, so I know he’s probably on pace to do whatever the triple crown is,” Burrow said. “What does that mean?”
Chase is currently leading the NFL in all three major receiving categories: receptions (66), receiving yards (981), and receiving touchdowns (10).
He has a 150-yard lead over Justin Jefferson in yards and is ahead by three touchdowns of both George Kittle and Amon-Ra St. Brown. But Burrow said Chase hasn’t been pushing him about his stats.
“No, he’s not. But you know if you have a guy like that, if you are not trying to find ways to get him the ball, then he maybe isn’t going to let you know directly, but he’ll let you know in his way, for sure,” Burrow said.
This led to Burrow’s viral quote, where he used an F-bomb for the first time in his career during a press conference.
“There’s a lot of different ways that a receiver can tell you, ‘Hey, get me the f–king ball,’” Burrow said.
Not only is Chase leading the league in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, but his yardage and touchdown numbers are the best through 10 games in his career. His 66 catches are just five behind last year’s total of 71 after 10 games.
A big reason for the rise in production is how much the Bengals have moved Chase around this season, a trend that started during their 2022 playoff run.
“I think he’s really taken a step this year as far as understanding zone coverage, understanding what his job is and all these different little details on these routes,” Burrow said. “I think he’s just continuing to get better, as crazy as that sounds.”
Since the 1970 NFL merger, only four players have achieved the Triple Crown.
The most recent was Cooper Kupp in 2021 with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards, and 16 touchdowns.
Steve Smith did it in 2005, finishing tied for the lead in receptions with 103 and touchdowns with 12, while leading in yards with 1,563.
The other two players were Sterling Sharpe in 1992 (108 catches, 1,461 yards, 13 touchdowns) and Jerry Rice in 1990 (100 catches, 1,502 yards, 13 touchdowns).
In Bengals history, the team has had one player lead the league in receptions, one in yards, and one in touchdowns.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh tied Wes Welker for the most receptions in 2007 with 112.
Chad Johnson led the league in receiving yards in 2006 with 1,369 yards.
Carl Pickens tied Cris Carter for the most touchdowns in 1995 with 17.
Even if Chase doesn’t achieve the Triple Crown, he is on track for his best career numbers. His 10-game totals, projected over a full 17-game season, would be 112 catches, 1,678 yards, and 17 touchdowns.
These totals would tie the franchise records for receptions and touchdowns, held by Houshmandzadeh and Pickens, respectively. The 1,678 yards would break his own franchise record of 1,455 yards, which he set as a rookie in 2021.
“Ja’Marr has shown he’s fully capable of wherever we ask him to go, whatever we ask him to do he’s going to be able to do it,” said offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher. “When you rise to the level of player he has risen to, it is incumbent on us to do those things so he can continue to be the elite player from a production standpoint.”
And there’s nothing more elite than leading the NFL.
