Why going all-in on Ja'Marr Chase would propel the Jaguars into new heights

Having one superstar receiver is a luxury that not many teams have, but the Jacksonville Jaguars have one in Brian Thomas Jr. who's taken the league by storm in his rookie season. But as good as the LSU product has been, the Jags shouldn't hesitate to add another bonafide No. 1

Thomas has lived up to his billing since being taken in the first round in 2024, setting franchise records for receiving touchdowns and yards by a rookie. That said, most of the other pass-catchers on the team have been mediocre at best, and the Jaguars could most definitely use help at the position.

This begs the question, who should the Jaguars pursue next year? They will have no shortage of options but there's one that isn't brought up nearly enough that could take their passing game to the next level.

What's the state of the Jaguars' receiving room ahead of the 2025 offseason?

Aside from Thomas, the Jaguars have Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, Parker Washington, Josh Reynolds, and Tim Jones in the fold. Kirk could be a cap casualty next year, and Davis has been underwhelming since signing a three-year deal in free agency, so the Jaguars will most likely need to revamp their wide receiver corps next offseason.

As things stand right now, the Jaguars should have a decent amount of money to spend when free agency opens up again in 2025. They currently have over $41 million of room to work with. That number could significantly increase if they release a few players next year, but even if they don't, they'll have more than enough ammo at their disposal to make a run for one of the top receivers in the NFL.

Why the Jaguars should pursue Ja'Marr Chase in 2025

The 2024 campaign has been nothing short of spectacular for Bengals star wideout Ja’Marr Chase. In their Week 10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, he broke the record for most receiving yards against a single opponent.

Chase currently leads the NFL in receiving yards (1,413) and should be a shoo-in to claim to be a First-team All-Pro for the first time in his NFL career. Joe Burrow has targeted him 138 times, with the LSU product catching 102 of those passes. At the moment, he’s averaging a whopping 100.9 yards per game through the air.

His numbers and ability to make defenders miss have been exceptional in 2024. However, he’s shown he’s got plenty more to give.

What would the Jaguars need to give up to trade for Ja'Marr Chase?

The Bengals have failed to reach an extension agreement with Chase and instead chose to exercise the fifth-year deal on his rookie deal. Then again, he’s proven that he deserves a massive raise sooner rather than later.

Cincinnati only has $6.5 million worth of cap space, though that number could rise to nearly $60 million next year. For understandable reasons, Joe Burrow commands a tremendous amount of money, but Chase deserves top wages himself. In fact, nobody will bat an eye if he wants a contract that makes him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL.

You’d think the Bengals would be idiots not to extend him. However, they didn’t last summer, and it’s not as if he’s not been deserving of big money even before this season. That may open the door for a team like the Jaguars to make Cincy or Chase an offer they can’t refuse. Of course, they would need to engineer a trade for him, and it wouldn't be cheap. Having said that, they have more than enough resources to pull it off.

The Bengals could use some help out of the backfield. They're 30th in rushing yards per game this season with 91.1 yards. Opposing teams know this is a pure passing team and that makes them predictable against good defenses. The Jaguars could offer Etienne a second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick to trade for Chase.

Etienne has been a dependable player for the Jaguars the past two seasons, but Tank Bigsby has made it expendable. Add the fact that he'll have a manageable salary of around $6 million next year, and Cincy may be willing to entertain a trade package for Chase that includes the former Clemson Tiger.

If that doesn't offer isn't to the Bengals' liking, maybe the Jaguars can offer a third-round pick instead of Etienne. This makes sense when you take into account that they will have an extra third round in 2025 after swapping spots with the Minnesota Vikings in this year's draft.

Why the Jaguars may work for Ja'Marr Chase?

Jacksonville gave Trevor Lawrence a substantial pay increase last offseason, and the franchise needs to protect that investment. Having Chase and Thomas in the Jags huddle would greatly help the quarterback in his progression.

Jacksonville has rolled the dice plenty of times in free agency and failed. What’s the harm in swinging for the fences and putting all your chips in a sure thing like Chase? Unlike Nick Foles, Toby Gerhart, and Julius Thomas, to name a few, Chase seems like a certainty to thrive.

It may be wishful thinking to get Chase to commit to Jacksonville, but this franchise is notorious for overpaying. Chase knows his worth, and if the Bengals aren’t willing to make him the highest-paid player at his position, what’s stopping him from going elsewhere?

If you’re going to overpay for somebody, Chase will instantly give you a massive return on investment.

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