Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase sent a clear message to his front office as they enter a crucial NFL offseason. The Bengals will be the only team in the AFC North with the same head coach from last season, but they need to address different issues to pose a threat to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bengals’ offense is as good as it comes, but the other side of the ball has struggled significantly over the years. Amid a three-year playoff drought, they need to strengthen the defense, and Chase is well aware of it.
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“I mean, everybody pretty much knows what we need,” he told Sports Illustrated’s Russell Heltman. “I’ve said it out in the media. All I gotta do is sit back and watch. I can’t control that, so all I gotta do is control my production. I mean, at the end of the day, I’m just stating my opinion on what I think we need. So, you know, I sit back, let the organization do what they do, and I just gotta let my play do the rest.”
Nov 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Ja’Marr Chase lost his cool during the 2026 season after the Bengals’ defense couldn’t preserve leads. More famously, he angrily called for a stop after the Chicago Bears beat them (47-42) in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. The defense has always been the weakest link in Cincinnati, but it is not its only issue.
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Ja’Marr Chase remains focused on helping the Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) is pushed out of a skirmish at midfield in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. The Bengals lost 34-12.
While the front office has work to do this offseason, Chase knows what people expect from him.
“Everybody has an opinion at the end of the day, and an opinion sometimes just is a right to be heard,” he said. “But I can’t judge people on what they feel. I know all I can do is control what I can control, and that’s my play. And what my play does is only how far I can lead the team to success or not.”
Cincinnati is one of those teams that can make life difficult for others, but as of right now, it is only making it difficult for itself.
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