The Bengals are hoping to rekindle an LSU connection this year, but thing are off to a slow start in camp.
In 2019, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase took college football by storm as LSU won the national title and Burrow won the Heisman Trophy. Chase led the country with 1,780 yards and 20 receiving touchdowns that year, as he won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best wide receiver. But then he opted out of last season due to COVID-19.
Burrow’s rookie season was shortened by a torn ACL last November. Much is being made of his struggles thus far in camp, but by all accounts (including his own) the condition of his knee is not the issue. Per Paul Dehner of The Athletic (subscription required), Burrow has pointed to his camp struggles as a “mental thing.” Coming off a major knee injury, mental hurdles are to be expected.
The Bengals’ LSU connection is struggling right now
The Bengals notably took Chase with the No. 5 pick in April’s draft, passing on Penei Sewell as their potential franchise left tackle in the process. Any Chase detractors had the “he sat out a year” thing to use if they wanted it.
Via Dehner’s piece, Chase is also struggling a bit so far in Bengals training camp.
“His skill set is that unique,” Dehner wrote.” You see flashes of that early, but you also see somebody tentatively getting used to a new offense, new league and not playing football since January 2020. He has not shown as much separation as you’d hope, and the contested balls haven’t gone his way much, either.”
After a full season not playing football, Chase surely has some rust to knock off like Burrow does. Any football-focused workouts he did while not playing (running routes, etc.) simply cannot replace actual practice and game reps, and that leaves aside the steep transition to the NFL which comes even after playing a normal final college season.
Ultimately, Burrow and Chase should push through and rekindle their high-level connection from LSU in 2019. But it’s good fodder for camp stories to highlight their respective struggles, on the notion it might become more than what it is right now–two guys working through some rust.