'I Didn't Care' - Ja'Marr Chase Put On Recruiting Hat At 2026 Pro Bowl

Ja'Marr Chase has pulled out all the stops to be the best wide receiver he can be during his NFL career and make Cincinnati the best team it can be as the group gets ready for a new season.

He chatted with the media on Tuesday and noted how dialed in this new-look team is during Voluntary OTAs and even touched on some of his Pro Bowl recruiting tactics that he deployed to try and land more talent for the Bengals.

"I was recruiting everybody out there," Chase revealed. "I didn't care. If you wanna sign, let's go."

Chase laughed off ESPN's Ben Baby playfully asking what the biggest deal he helped make happen was, but it's good work all the same. The 26-year-old is entering the prime of his career and showed up for the biggest offseason workouts so far.

Leading By Example

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) catches a pass during Cincinnati Bengals Practice in Cincinnati on Aug. 21, 2025. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The leader wanted to get that ball rolling with a new roster, especially on the defensive side.

"Show my face to the guys, be a leader," Chase said being in Cincinnati this week. "Still want to get my own work in at the same time. I do a good job with communicating with Zac (Taylor) and telling him what I'm going to do and when I'm going to come in, and you know, he lets me do it."

Chase knows the stakes might be higher this fall than they ever have after Cincinnati spent close to the salary cap over the past few months.

"I think it increases expectations, but it's always expectations for us every year. So, at the end of the day, we got to the Super Bowl in 21' and never went back, so expectations have always been high since 2021. But now that we have improved that defense a little more. The executives have gone up for the defense to show us what they do, what they could do."

Chase is coming off a 1,400-plus yard season and should crack double-digit touchdowns for the third time in his career, especially if Joe Burrow plays a full season to aid all those goals.

Everything continues this week during more OTAs for Cincinnati. Check out the full quotes from WLWT's Charlie Clifford and CLNS Media's Mike Petraglia below:

Ja’Marr Chase acknowledges he was putting the squeeze on players at the Pro Bowl to come aboard in Cincinnati.

It worked with Dexter Lawrence: pic.twitter.com/AeL2zCWUxL
— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) June 2, 2026

Ja’Marr Chase in a good place for OTAs. On Dexter Lawrence II acquisition “I did not see that coming if I’m being honest. … big move by us. Great job.” pic.twitter.com/KBucMimdAz
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) June 2, 2026

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