Ja’Marr Chase joins forces in backing up Joe Burrow’s bold words about the Bengals
It’s not just Joe Burrow who senses something special about the 2026 Cincinnati Bengals. Ja’Marr Chase feels it as well, and made it clear on the first episode of his podcast, “Chasing No. 1.”
It’s not just Joe Burrow who senses something special about the 2026 Cincinnati Bengals. Ja’Marr Chase feels it as well.
Burrow has made it clear this offseason he sees greatness in the current Bengals squad, akin to the 2019 LSU Tigers that he helped lead to a College Football Playoff National Championship. He’s been promoting urgency because he truly believes it can all come together this year.
“I can really feel it in my bones, in my soul,” Burrow told Chase in the first episode of Chase’s new podcast “Chasing No. 1.” “In OTAs this year, different from years past, where we brought in a lot of the right guys, a lot of the right people with the right mindsets to go and chase this goal of winning a Super Bowl and winning as many games as we can and being the best possible team that we can.”
It’s really only been Burrow repeating this message over the last handful of months. But Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback and All-Pro wide receiver are typically on the same page. It’s no different in this case.
Ja’Marr Chase feels something special about the Bengals too
Chase’s rookie season was the same year the Bengals reached the Super Bowl. He became the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler, but he was also just a 21-year-old first-year player going up against an experienced Cincinnati defense every week.
Chase remembers the edge that 2021 defense had, and sees it in this year’s unit as well.
“The energy, I can feel it too,” Chase said. “And the fact that our defense talks a little trash, I like that. I don’t know if it’s me pissing everybody off, but I do like the fact that they’re talking for themselves. Yeah, that’s what we need. And it lowkey feels like 2021 all over again when the guys are talking a lot of trash, because we had a lot of guys that were talking on defense.”
The Bengals’ defense was just as critical getting the club to Super Bowl LVI as Burrow and Chase were. They had confidence in doing their job, and with that comes an attitude.
It’s a promising sign for Chase to notice it.
It all about the defense
Cincinnati’s defense hasn’t been good enough to get the team back to the postseason, let alone the final game in February, in three years. Burrow’s confidence comes from knowing his side has everything figured out with continuity and trust, and the other 11 have shown him plenty this offseason.
“I felt it from our D line. I felt it from our defense,” Burrow said. “You know, our offense has the same guys as years past, so you know we felt that for the last couple years as good as we’ve been. But you know, these veteran guys that we brought in on defense to to be able to help our younger guys.”
From Dexter Lawrence II, to Jonathan Allen, to Bryan Cook among others, Burrow has been boastful about the Bengals’ defensive additions. They’ve instilled a different level of confidence in their teammates before the regular season has arrived.
Burrow and Chase feel it together.
