Through the first two seasons of his NFL career, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has already emerged as one of the most dominant receivers in the league and even helped lead the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance in his first season. But his dad initially didn’t even want him to play in Cincinnati.
During an appearance on Bengals Booth Podcast, Jimmy Chase – the father of Ja’Marr Chase – admitted that he didn’t want Ja’Marr Chase to play for the Bengals. Instead, he wanted him to play for the Miami Dolphins.
“I was like, ‘I don’t know anything about Cincinnati and they’re not that good right now. So, why don’t we just go to South Beach, right?’ I could just go sit on the beach and watch Ja’Marr on the team, right?” Jimmy admitted on the podcast, according to The Spun.
Even a reunion with college quarterback and friend Joe Burrow was not enough to convince Jimmy Chase that the Bengals were a good fit for his son.
“I said, ‘I like Joe and everything, but, Cincinnati, Ja’Marr? I don’t know about all that,” Chase’s father said.
Ultimately, the Bengals selected Chase with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft – just one pick before the Dolphins. But it’s safe to say Jimmy Chase is happy with how it all turned out.
[The Spun]