The Cincinnati Bengals admitted the previous relationship between Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase was one factor that went into drafting the LSU wideout No. 5 overall in April.
According to both players, that previously built chemistry in their run to the 2019 College Football Playoff picked up where it left off.
"Right back to where it was," Burrow said earlier this month during mandatory minicamp, . "I'm excited about where he's at. He's a really smart player that understands what we're trying to do in the offense. I'm not going to have to tell him what to do every single play. He knows exactly what's expected of him."
The rookie concurred with his quarterback.
"I do feel the same way, of course," Chase said.
Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said watching the duo work during the offseason program, it was obvious they'd played together in the past.
"The cool thing is Joe's done that with Ja'Marr for two years and this is the third year of doing it. They got a good rapport," the OC said. "You can see it and feel it. They know how to communicate with each other. I think that's exciting for me. They don't really need to get to know each other. They do know each other."
Part of the transition for rookie wideouts that determines how quickly they'll succeed is the chemistry built with their quarterback. If the signal-caller prefers throwing the ball to wideouts he's already comfortable with, that rookie might have more trouble seeing the pigskin. If the QB and WR aren't on the same page with depth of route, where the receiver prefers the ball located, etc., the dance can become elongated. Building chemistry and trust with a QB is why sometimes it takes half a season or more for young receivers to bust out.
Given their previous relationship, Burrow and Chase should hit the ground running.
As long as Burrow starts the season healthy following ACL surgery -- and all indications thus far is that he's on pace to be 100 percent for Week 1 -- the Bengals offense could come out of the gate humming in 2021, and the Burrow-Chase connection should play a huge role.
