Ja'Marr Chase willing to make changes in preseason to help Bengals start faster

CINCINNATI — Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said while he doesn’t want to play in the preseason, he understands that may be what’s best for a Cincinnati team that has lost its first two games the past three seasons.

“It sounds like we need to play in the preseason,” Chase said Tuesday after the Bengals wrapped up their first organized team activity practice.

After starting 0-2 in 2022 and 2023 — seasons where the Bengals barely played their top players in the preseason — the Bengals used a similar approach last season and dropped their first three games en route to a 1-4 start.

While many Bengals players were shaking off rust during the first few weeks of the 2024 season, Chase had added pressure. He opted to not participate in training camp as he tried to negotiate a contract extension.

“I wasn’t mentally ready to be on the field,” Chase said. “I was in my own head.”

With Chase as well as wide receiver Tee Higgins now secured on long-term deals, Chase has much more peace of mind entering the 2025 season. Quarterback Joe Burrow was excited to see those contract extensions finalized early this offseason.

“It’s great when you can reward guys who do it the right way, work really hard to go out and play great on Sundays and play great week in and week out,” Burrow said. “It’s great to have them for the next four years, and I will here, too, so we’ve got the core here, and that’s exciting.”

Chase won the receiving triple crown last season as he led the NFL in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and touchdown catches (17). He said that he got back to playing with a “chip” on his shoulder during the middle of last season, and he’s trying to keep that mindset entering the 2025 season.

“I’m challenging myself, pushing the guys around me, learning more of the offense and learning more defenses,” Chase said. “Seeing the small things from the defense in pre-snap tells.”

Last season, even though Chase reached the statistical goals that he set for himself, the Bengals didn’t make the playoffs. When Chase was asked about the goals that he’s setting for 2025, he focused on team success.

“We didn’t make the playoffs for two years straight,” Chase said. “That’s my chip (on my shoulder) right there.”

Coach Zac Taylor said last week that having Chase and Higgins both under contract certainly provides the team with security, but it doesn’t impact his job as a play caller.

“You’re looking at this year. How can we be the best 2025 Bengals team,” he said. “There’s a lot of things, now that we get these guys in the system a little longer and not just Tee and Ja’Marr, we can continue to grow and tweak, and that’s been a really good part of our offseason so far. I think it’s still challenging to those guys who have been here for several years. Some of the new things that we’re working on is good and it’s pushing their boundaries a little bit, and they’ve taken it the right way.”