Former LSU football WR Ja’Marr Chase’s decision looks bad in retrospect

Former LSU football wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase made a decision in 2020 that may be haunting him in 2021.

Chase, who was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, is struggling this preseason.

The former Tigers standout had three targets in Cincinnati’s preseason matchup against Washington Football Team on Friday.

Those three targets resulted in three drops for Chase.

Unfortunately for Chase, and the Bengals, things didn’t get better in an 11-on-11 scrimmage on Sunday.

WCPO reporter Keenan Singleton tweeted a video of a Chase drop that resulted in a Vonn Bell interception that was returned for a touchdown.

Chase also had another drop in practice on Sunday according to Pro Football Talk.

This wasn’t a problem that plagued Chase at LSU.

So what’s the deal?

Is Ja’Marr Chase’s 2020 decision to blame for training camp struggles?

Chase was expected to be one of the Tigers’ top returning players in 2020.

However, the stud wide receiver decided to opt-out of the 2020 season just a few weeks before the season was set to start.

Chase “wrestled” with the decision according to his father.

Is taking a season off from playing football (Chase was still training, but it’s not the same as being part of a team/playing in actual games) the reason for Chase’s struggles with drops?

It could certainly be one of the biggest factors. This was never an issue in Baton Rouge. The most logical explanation is that Chase is rusty.

Ultimately, I think this is a problem that will correct itself with more reps. But it’s not a good look for a player who was drafted No. 5 overall. A drop here or there is understandable. But five drops in the span of just a couple of days? That’s unacceptable in the NFL.

Hopefully, Chase figures it out. Otherwise, he may start to lose the trust of the Bengals’ coaching staff.