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Future Hall of Fame WR ready to bet big on Titans A.J. Brown

By Will Lomas

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 30: Wide receiver Chad Johnson #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals points to the sideline during a National Football League game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on November 30, 2003 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Bengals defeated the Steelers 24-20. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 30: Wide receiver Chad Johnson #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals points to the sideline during a National Football League game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on November 30, 2003 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Bengals defeated the Steelers 24-20. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /
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Chad Johnson all in on Titans WR A.J. Brown.

Respect means everything to NFL players, and Tennessee Titans 2nd-year wide receiver A.J. Brown just got a big vote of confidence from one of the best receivers in NFL history.

In an NSFW tweet this weekend, Chad Johnson expressed his faith and respect for the player that should have won rookie of the year in 2019.

Long story short, the receiver formally known as Ochocinco thinks that A.J. Brown is in for a huge year and he thinks that 1,500 yards would be possible.

I did some research and there have only been 6 receivers in NFL history to have a 1,500-yard season in their first two years. Sorted by total yards:

1. Isaac Bruce: 1,781 yards (1995)

2. Charley Hennigan: 1,756 (1961)

3. Josh Gordon  1,646 (2013)

4. Torry Holt  1,635 (2000)

5. Jerry Rice 1,570 (1986)

6. Victor Cruz: 1,536 (2011)

That may seem like an impossible list to join, but if anyone could shock the world and do it then it would be A.J. Brown. Think about what fans were thinking about A.J. Brown 11 months ago.

The exception to the rule

During training camp, there wasn’t a lot of hype about A.J. Brown because no one really got to see Brown due to a hamstring injury that slowed him down. Now if you know Titans history, you know that WR injuries in camp usually mean pretty bad seasons for Titans rookies.

However, Brown obviously overcame that and turned into the best rookie receiver that the Titans have ever had and maybe the best rookie wide receiver ever per catch.

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With 1,051 receiving yards on just 52 receptions, Brown averaged over 20 yards per catch and that is a huge deal. Since 2000, there have only been four WRs with 50+ receptions and 20 YPR and Brown has the highest catch rate among them.

So, we know that Brown is a star but what would it take for him to top 1,500 yards? Well, there is a realistic expectation and a dream scenario.

In the realistic expectation, we probably need to expect Brown to drop from 20+ YPR to something closer to 18. Using that math, Brown would need 84 receptions and while that would be top-5 in Titans history, you could definitely see it considering how much attention the QB and OC gave him down the stretch.

But what if he could keep that amazing 20 YPR? Well in that dream scenario, it would only take 75 receptions. That would make the Brown one of three receivers to ever do that and he would be the first one in the last 55 years (Lance Alworth in 1965).

At that point, all eyes would be on a Titans receiver for the first time in NFL history and there would somehow be even more #11 jerseys in the stands. Let’s hope Chad Johnson has a crystal ball and we are getting ready to watch history unfold.

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