Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase No. 4 on NFL's The Top 100 list.
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Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase No. 4 on NFL's The Top 100 list.
On Monday night, the NFL released the final installment of its annual The Top 100 list. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley claimed the No. 1 spot, but the Cincinnati Bengals did have two players in the top six.
Quarterback Joe Burrow came in at No. 6 on the list, while his teammate and partner-in-crime wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was ranked No. 4.
Burrow should come as no surprise and plenty of people probably think he should be higher on the list. In 2024, Burrow completed 460 of 652 passes (70.6%) for 4,918 yards, 43 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Before the Most Valuable Player award was announced, Burrow said – uncharacteristically – that he thought he was deserving of the MVP award, but doubted he’d win it.
“I don’t think anybody was playing any better than I was this year,” Burrow said back in February before the MVP was announced. “I doubt I win the award, but I think I was playing my best ball.”
Burrow knew that Baltimore Ravens‘ quarterback Lamar Jackson and Buffalo Bills‘ signal caller Josh Allen were more likely to get recognized.
“Those guys are incredible. They’re great for the game,” he said. “I don’t know who’s going to win but they’re both incredible players.”
No. 6 was the highest Joe Burrow has ever been on the Top 100 list
Burrow has never reached as high as No. 6 on the Top 100 list, even if he may have deserved it. If you had a complete re-draft of every NFL player (oh wow, how fun would that be to watch?), Burrow would probably go in the top two or three.
NFL.com’s Michael Baca breaks down the greatness of Burrow’s 2024 season that failed to earn a playoff birth because the defense is/was so poor.
“Burrow took his passing game to the next level in 2024, and that advancement is recognized with his highest standing ever in the Top 100,” Baca writes. “The Bengals’ star quarterback led the NFL and set single-season franchise records in completions, passing yards and touchdowns, an MVP-level effort after Cincinnati’s slow start and trying defense ultimately prevented a postseason appearance.
“Burrow became the third QB in NFL history to have at least 4,500 passing yards and 40 passing TDs while throwing fewer than 10 interceptions, joining Tom Brady (2007) and Aaron Rodgers (2011), who were both rewarded with the AP Most Valuable Player award in those seasons, per NFL Research. Burrow nearly saved the Bengals season with a tremendous run from Weeks 9-17, setting an NFL record with eight straight games with 250-plus passing yards and three-plus passing TDs.”
Ja’Marr Chase was top wide receiver on Top 100 list
As we all know by now, Chase won the triple crown for receiving last year and that was good enough to get him to No. 4 on the list. He led the NFL in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and touchdowns (17) and it seemed like he and Burrow were just playing pitch-and-catch out there for most of the year.
Baca notes that there is a reason that he was the top receiver on this list.
“After becoming the sixth player in the Super Bowl era to win the receiving triple crown, Chase rightfully tops all pass catchers in the Top 100,” Baca writes. “The 24-year-old is the youngest ever to accomplish the feat and the final margins in which he led the league in receptions (12), receiving yards (175) and touchdowns (4) make his fourth season all the more staggering.
“Chase also topped all NFL receivers in yards per game (100.5), yards after catch (787) and first downs (75), making it clear who was the best all-around weapon in 2024. He showed it in multiple ways, hauling in deep passes from Joe Burrow in stride or exploding for big plays off screens — exemplifying each with a pair of 70-yard TD catches in his two games versus the Ravens, which amounted to an NFL-record 457 receiving yards against a sole opponent in a single season.
“It’s no shock that Chase’s 2024 campaign resulted in the greatest receiving season in Bengals lore and the dominance led him to becoming the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history this offseason.”
Burrow and Chase deserve every single individual accolade that they received last year. Their dominance actually highlighted just how awful the Bengals’ defense was; their two individual performances weren’t enough to even earn a Wild Card spot.