The Bengals are heading into the 2026 season with Super Bowl expectations, and Ja’Marr Chase knows exactly where the pressure starts: up front.
Chase didn’t sugarcoat the message when talking about Cincinnati’s offensive line and Joe Burrow’s protection, making his point in one blunt line to Jay Morrison of Sports Illustrated:
“I don't care what we do, we just better f*****g protect Joe,” Chase said.
That’s the reality for a Bengals team leaning hard on its quarterback. Burrow remains the engine of everything Cincinnati wants to do, and Chase’s words capture just how central he is to the whole operation.
The line did take a step forward in 2025, at least in the sack column. Cincinnati allowed 36 sacks, down from 48 the season before.
But Burrow still absorbed plenty of punishment, going down 17 times in eight games. Those hits were part of what derailed his season and limited how much he could give the team.
Over the offseason, the Bengals didn’t make major changes to the offensive line. Instead, they’re banking on the group’s growing cohesion to keep pushing the unit in the right direction. Burrow, in turn, has to trust the men in front of him.
And when he’s protected, Chase is ready to feast. Even with Burrow playing only a limited role in 2025, Chase still posted his fifth straight Pro Bowl season, finishing with 125 catches for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns. With a full season from his quarterback, those numbers could climb again.
For Cincinnati, though, it all comes back to one thing: Burrow has to stay upright. The Bengals have tied their hopes to him, and another injury could send those Super Bowl dreams off the rails.
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