Chase: Preseason a factor in Bengals’ slow starts

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase took a page out of a reporter’s notebook on Tuesday.

In the middle of an interview, he started asking questions to find an answer that has eluded the Bengals for several years. When asked about whether playing in the preseason could help Cincinnati solve its slow starts, Chase eyed the semi-circle of media members surrounding his locker and started rattling off a series of questions with a simple premise – what were the records for the Bengals in the first two weeks of the season and how much did Cincinnati practice in the preseason?

In coach Zac Taylor’s six seasons, the Bengals have sparingly used starters in preseason games. During that span, Cincinnati has a 1-11 record, the worst in the NFL. After running reporters through the slew of 0-2 starts to multiple seasons, Chase wrapped up his questions and arrived at a conclusion.

“Sounds like we need to play in the preseason, huh?” Chase quipped after the team’s first voluntary OTA.

Cincinnati’s starters have rarely seen the field in the team’s exhibition contests preceding Week 1. Last year, offensive starters only played the opening series of the team’s preseason opener against Tampa Bay. The only other occurrence was in the 2021 preseason finale, a three-play sequence that featured a Chase dropped pass on a screen pass that almost felt forgotten.

“It wasn’t a great screen,” Chase recalled, drawing a few laughs. “I remember what happened now.”

But the way Cincinnati has started each of the last six seasons has drawn anything but smiles. Last season, the Bengals went 0-3 to start the year, including a Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots, which finished the season with a 4-13 record that resulted in coach Jerod Mayo’s firing after one year.

But that defeat also sums up some of the issues that have plagued the Bengals at the beginning of each season. For starters, quarterback Joe Burrow has dealt with a serious injury in every year except his rookie season in 2020, which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last season also featured Chase’s first extensive on-field action after a contract dispute that prompted him to skip all of the team’s training camp workouts.

“I could say I wasn’t mentally ready to be on the field,” Chase said on Tuesday. “I was in my own head. You know what I’m saying? I wanted to play, but I was in my own head.”

As with each season, the Bengals eventually made amends for their slow start. But even with a 9-8 overall record, those early losses were a major reason why Cincinnati missed the playoffs for the second straight year, despite career years from several top players.

Last week, Taylor suggested the way the team will handle preseason games will change in 2025.

“The one thing I do feel good about is playing our guys in the preseason,” Taylor said. “That’s always subject to change, depending on health and how things go with our team during training camp, but that’s one thing that we’ve openly talked about with our players, and I think will help us as we do it.”

That won’t be the only different dynamic this year. Chase no longer has to worry about his contract status after the team signed him to a four-year deal worth $161 million. The average annual salary is the highest for a non-quarterback in league history.

Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins also received a contract extension this offseason. Instead of playing on the franchise tag for a second straight year, Higgins earned a four-year deal worth $115 million.

“Hopefully that’s the start of (starting fast),” Chase said.

As with every year, Chase will have lofty personal goals for the upcoming season. But the primary focus is getting the Bengals back to the top of the AFC North.

“My biggest thing this year, going forward, is making the playoffs, man,” Chase said. “We got to get to the playoffs. That’s my first step, but (the) team goal is to win the division.”