Bengals’ Chase tops class of rookie receivers making impact

By MARK LONG
AP Pro Football Writer

Ja’Marr Chase sure has adjusted nicely to the NFL ball. Chase blamed his preseason drops on getting accustomed to the size and color differences between footballs used in college and pro. Two months later Chase is the leading contender at the halfway point of the season to become the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Cincinnati Bengals receiver and the fifth overall draft pick has 44 receptions for a whopping 835 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s one of a handful of rookie receivers making immediate impacts, joining Miami’s Jaylen Waddle, Philadelphia’s DeVonta Smith and Arizona’s Rondale Moore.