Ja’Marr Chase Had Telling Line About His Coaches After Bengals’ Disappointing Finish

Kristen Wong | 14 Hours Ago

Bengals star wideout Ja'Marr Chase fielded a hot topic question about his coaches after the team's season finale loss to the browns. / Screengrab on Twitter/ @Trags

Another year, another disappointing finish for the Cincinnati Bengals, who have failed to make the playoffs in the last three seasons and are still trying to keep their Super Bowl window open in Joe Burrow's prime.

This season, Burrow's turf toe injury dealt a blow to the team that ultimately proved fatal, with the Bengals crawling to a 6-11 record and missing the postseason yet again. Burrow returned on Thanksgiving, but the team went 3-3 afterward and continued to struggle on defense as they have all year long.

Ja'Marr Chase, who's coming off a rare triple crown feat in 2024, saw his numbers drop off this year, finishing with 117 catches for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns across 15 games. Chase didn't look happy in his postgame media availability after Week 18's 20-18 loss to the Browns, and he made some head-turning comments about Zac Taylor and the Bengals' coaching staff in the wake of the team's latest defeat.

Chase was asked whether Taylor and his coaching staff still has his "utmost confidence." He replied, "I’m very confident in myself. I’m confident in the plays that are called for me to get open," and left it at that.

Not exactly the biggest endorsement for his longtime coach as the NFL season wraps up.

When told that Taylor called Week 18's loss a "fitting way" for the Bengals' season to end, Chase didn't seem interested in commenting further.

"I don't even know what that means, I’mma be honest," Chase said. "Y'all gotta keep that question with him. That's not for me."

“I’m very confident in myself. I’m confident in the plays that are called for me.” Ja’Marr Chase on the confidence he has in Zac Taylor and the coaching staff pic.twitter.com/K6irXMk5UL

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) January 4, 2026

Chase's recent remarks may cast some doubt on Dianna Russini's report on the Bengals early Sunday, when Russini claimed Taylor still has the support of the team and of Cincinnati ownership despite the disappointing 2025 campaign.

"Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has been a consistent voice of support for coach Zac Taylor within the organization, as have receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. ... Despite a 6-10 season marred by a significant toe injury to Burrow, Taylor appears to be safe," Russini wrote.

Taylor has been at the helm of the Bengals since 2019, leading Cincy to two AFC title games and one Super Bowl berth during his tenure. In the last three years, though, the Bengals have arguably underperformed in part due to injuries, and the clock may be running out for Taylor to prove he can help mold the team into playoff perennials once more.

"Everybody should be motivated who's been on the team for the past three years. They know how it's been," said Chase. "At the end of the day, Imma say this, if you going into the offseason and you're not motivated from what happened this season, you shouldn't be on the team. You shouldn't play football, period."

We'll have to see what changes are in store for the down-bad Bengals next year.

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