ESPN hit former LSU Football star with some disrespect

Former LSU football star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, the No. 5 overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 NFL Draft, was hit with some major disrespect this week by ESPN.

The self-proclaimed “Worldwide Leader in Sports” recently ranked the top 10 rookies in the NFL from the 2021 season.

Before I even opened the article, I assumed I would see Chase or Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons occupying the top two spots.

I was half correct.

Parsons came in at No. 1 on their list.

Chase, however, was all the way down the list at No. 5.

Here’s what ESPN’s Jeff Legwold had to say about Chase:

"Chase was a problem for defenses early in the season (101 yards in Week 1), in the middle of the season (201 yards in Week 7) and late in the season (266 yards in Week 17). Flowers and well-wishes to the AFC North defensive backs for, well, years to come. As he and quarterback Joe Burrow continue to build on what they’ve already done, more days like the rookie-record 266-yard effort against the Chiefs in the second-to-last game of the regular season are possible. His 1,455 receiving yards were the most for a rookie in the Super Bowl era, and before you point to the extended regular season, he actually broke the record in Week 17."

ESPN had New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, Los Angeles Chargers offensive lineman Rashawn Slater, and Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Creed Humphrey ahead of Chase.

Former LSU football standout Ja’Marr Chase should be top two on this list

I can understand Parsons being at No. 1 on this list. He had an amazing rookie season that included 13 sacks and 84 total tackles. Those aren’t numbers we see from rookies.

But Chase at No. 5? That just doesn’t make any sense.

The former Tigers standout had 1,455 receiving yards as a rookie. That’s a rookie record. It’s also a Bengals franchise record.

Take that in for a minute — Chase set a franchise record as a ROOKIE. He had a better season than Chad Johnson or AJ Green ever had for the Bengals. Those are two legendary wide receivers.

Jones was great — and I’ll never downplay the importance of an offensive lineman — but what Chase did was nothing short of incredible. It was unbelievable.

Chase should absolutely be top two on this list. But I guess ESPN would rather prop up a Patriots player and a Chiefs player. Cincinnati just isn’t a marquee franchise in ESPN’s eyes.