Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) flexes after making a first down catch in the red zone in the second quarter of the NFL football game between Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Nov. 2, 2025. Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ja'Marr Chase Excited to 'Mess' With Joe Burrow Again Down Home Stretch of 2025 Season

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By Russell Heltman | Last updated Nov 13, 2025 4:02 PM ET

The big Bengals news of the week was exciting for Ja'Marr Chase. He got his star quarterback back, throwing him footballs in practice across the past few days as Joe Burrow continues his rehab process.

Chase said he was surprised to see him out there this early.

"Feels good having him out there," Chase stated. "I like messing with him. Now he's back. I can't usually do that when he was injured, but just having him out there is what's best for everybody. The energy feels good for the whole offense, just making sure he's back, you know. So he definitely put smiles on people's faces."

Chase has thrived with Burrow throughout his career and is finding a nice chemistry with Joe Flacco. The Bengals' top playmaker used the bye week to reset and get ready for the stretch run.

Chase likes to "bump, head butt, and kick" Burrow like they are in a UFC fight, all in good fun of course.

He declared Sunday a "must-win game" if Cincinnati wants to take the AFC North title this season.

"We got eight games left," Chase noted about the bye week. "Nothing really jumped out to me, if I'm being honest, really, just getting a moment, having a free mind and getting my body right for a minute."

Chase posted 16 catches on a whopping 23 targets (Bengals single-game record) in the first 2025 matchup against Pittsburgh (161 yards and a score). If he does anything like that again, Cincinnati could be in a prime spot to pull off their latest upset and add even more fuel to Burrow's return fire.

The game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.