While the Bengals haven’t had quarterback Joe Burrow available to practice since he suffered a calf injury on the second day of training camp, the team’s continuity in offensive personnel should help him make a seamless transition whenever he returns.
But even as Burrow is out, his receivers are making strides.
As Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd enter their third year as a trio, Boyd — the most experienced of the group — recently complimented Chase on his improvements throughout the spring and summer.
“Ja’Marr is just more polished about how he goes about his work day,” Boyd said, via Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “He doesn’t miss treatment. He’s not worrying about the wrong things outside of football. He gets here, is locked in, and does what he has to do before he gets on the field.
“Before, he used to just chill, sit around, and go play. Now, he takes things more seriously. He has become a vet. It’s the same thing with Tee.”
If that’s the case, then Chase could be poised for a monster 2023 — not that he was a slouch in either of his first two seasons. He was the AP offensive rookie of the year in 2021 after catching 81 passes for 1,455 yards with 13 touchdowns. He played just 12 games due to injury last year, but still finished with 87 receptions for 1,046 yards with nine TDs.
Higgins has caught exactly 74 passes for just over 1,000 yards in each of the last two years — 1,091 in 2021 and 1,029 in 2022.
With Chase, Higgins, and Boyd, Cincinnati’s offense should be plenty explosive from a receiver standpoint in 2023.
