Star Wide Receiver Deemed Bengals Top 2026 Non-QB MVP Candidate

Joe Burrow is the Bengals' top MVP candidate heading into the 2026 season. He's one of the lead betting candidates in general, holding top-10 odds hovering around +1000 depending on what sportsbook you look at.

A non-quarterback hasn't won the award once in the past decade, so it's safe to say he's the team's only realistic candidate, but take away the passers and NFL.com's Kevin Patra thinks Ja'Marr Chase is the next best pick.

Chasing Chase

Jan 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'marr Chase (1) runs for yards after catch against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"There are several options here, but let’s not get crazy," Patra noted. "Behind Joe Burrow, Chase is the most dynamic Bengals playmaker. The man had 1,412 yards (fourth most in the league) last season despite the well-chronicled QB issues in Cincinnati. If Burrow stays healthy, Chase should be back atop the league yardage ranks, and could threaten Calvin Johnson’s single-season record (1,964)."

Chase was one of just three other AFC wide receivers to be the non-QB MVP picks for their teams. AJ Brown got the nod for New England, Jaylen Waddle earned the honor for Denver, and Garrett Wilson got the role for the Jets.

The 26-year-old is widely considered the best wide receiver in the NFL, and Cincinnati's offense has struggled without him. Across six missed games in his career, the Bengals are 3-3 without Chase, averaging 23.8 points per game in those contests (four of the six saw the offense score 20 points or fewer).

He's a massively important piece of the Bengals offense and an MVP-worthy pick who's put in plenty of work this offseason.

"I try to change it up a little bit. Work on new things, new cons that I have, and always fix the pros that I have before the season starts," Chase detailed in recent months. "So it always should be something new. I feel like I should work on every offseason. ... I got a good trainer. So a lot of my work comes from my trainer. I tell him what I want to work on. He sets me up in the right direction with whom I want to meet, talk to, sit down and watch film with. He definitely helps me with that too."

Check out the full article from Patra here.

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