Ja’Marr Chase Sends Clear Message to Bengals Front Office After Losing Season

Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Burrow both believe the Bengals need to make changes after missing the playoffs for a third-straight season.

Dec 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) runs during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow made it clear the Bengals needed to make changes after missing the playoffs for a third-straight year. Ja'Marr Chase agrees.

The star wide receiver spoke on Thursday just 24 hours after Burrow said that changes needed to be made for the team to get back into Super Bowl contention.

"We want to be competing for championships every year," Burrow said. "We don't want to be in the spot that we're in now. So something's got to change, whether it's players that we have continuing to improve and get better at playing championship caliber football or bringing guys in that will, or whatever it may be, obviously something has to."

Chase was asked what needed to change on Thursday. The 25-year-old believes there's a pretty clear answer.

"I think some of the things are pretty obvious, what we need to change," Chase said. "At the end of the day I can't really say or put an emphasis on what needs to be changed because that's not my role, but it's pretty obvious on what issues need to be changed."

The Bengals are 6-10 on the season. They haven't made the playoffs since 2022. This is the first losing season of Chase's NFL career.

While he wouldn't elaborate on what needed to change, the star receiver believes they can turn things around in one offseason.

"It's 100 percent fixable," Chase said.

He has 117 catches for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Burrow missed nine games due to a grade 3 toe sprain that required surgery. The Bengals went 1-8 without him. They're 5-2 with Burrow on the field.

Cincinnati plays Cleveland on Sunday in the 2025-26 season finale.

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