College chemistry paying off for six QB-receiver duos in the NFL

Pack your bags.

That was the message wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase got from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow the morning of the 2021 NFL draft. During the 2019 season at LSU, Burrow and Chase formed one of college football's most potent combinations. When Chase got the text from Burrow on draft day, it indicated a reunion in Cincinnati might be his future.

«I don't know if that was a hint or not, but when I saw that text I said, 'OK, I'm ready,'» Chase said after the Bengals selected him with the fifth overall pick. The move paid off handsomely for Cincinnati. Chase had a record-setting year with 81 catches for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. Chase was named the NFL's top offensive rookie. The connection between Burrow and Chase helped push the Bengals to the brink of winning the franchise's first Super Bowl last season.

Burrow and Chase aren't the only quarterback-receiver combinations who went from being college teammates to linking up in the NFL. They will face two of their former college rivals when Cincinnati hosts the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video).

One pick after the Bengals drafted Chase, Miami reunited Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle with his former college quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. They're two of six NFL teams that have reunited quarterbacks with their college receivers, hoping to mimic the spark teammates showed before they turned pro.

So far, the results seem to be paying off for Cincinnati, Miami and teams that made similar moves across the NFL.

Stats together with LSU, 2018-19: 107 receptions, 2,093 yards, 23 TDsStats together with Bengals, 2021-22: 100 receptions, 1,641 yards, 15 TDs

The moment Chase realized Burrow was a special quarterback didn't happen on