Ja’Marr Chase has no problem with a sharper, more demanding Joe Burrow.
In fact, the Bengals’ star receiver sounds like he welcomes it.
Burrow has spent this offseason pushing himself to be more vocal and more direct as a leader, even saying in June that he wanted to get more comfortable being a little “mean” when teammates weren’t hitting the standard. The goal, Burrow said, was to create more urgency in the locker room by addressing issues right away and with more force.
Chase has seen that side of his quarterback in training camp, and he’s all for it.
“I like it when he's pissed,” Chase said in an interview with NFL Network on Sunday. “I like it when Joe's pissed.
I'm not gonna lie. I like it when he's like that.
I like the fire that he has.”
Chase added that Burrow hasn’t been in that mode often since camp opened, but when it shows up, it changes everything.
“His demeanor is just more aggressive,” Chase said. “His face is more aggressive.
The way he talks is more aggressive, and he got like a little mean mug on his face a little bit. So I kind of like when he's like that.”
That edge isn’t reserved for teammates around him, either. Burrow has gone at Chase before, and the receiver says that kind of push comes with the territory.
“I don't mind it, though, man. I'm not gonna lie.
I don't mind it,” Chase said. “That's hard coaching.
That's critical coaching. He's holding me accountable.
I appreciate that. I would do the same to him.”
Burrow’s shift comes with purpose. He said in June that being more vocal didn’t come naturally to him, but he saw it as a place where he could grow. He has also been clear about the urgency around a Bengals team that has missed the playoffs in three straight seasons despite championship expectations.
If “Mean Joe” is part of that push, Chase is not interested in dialing it back.
The Bengals’ No. 1 wideout is buying into the edge, the accountability and the message behind it, with the same destination in mind: being the only team holding the Lombardi Trophy in Inglewood, California, come February.
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