CINCINNATI — During a Thursday press conference, star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase shared his expectations for the 2026 NFL season ahead of the Bengals’ Week 1 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"Just getting my mental ready and my focus ready for my assignments," Chase said to kick off the press conference.
Chase was immediately asked about how he was physically feeling ahead of Sunday's game.
"I've been having my usual reps the whole time, so it's been nothing different," Chase said.
Chase sustained an apparent knee injury during practice on Aug. 25. WCPO cameras were there when Chase appeared to hyper-extend his knee after going up for a catch thrown by Joe Burrow.
WATCH: Ja'Marr Chase suffers apparent knee injury during practice
In the video, Chase is seen immediately dropped to his knees, grabbing his left leg and rolling on the ground as cornerback DJ Turner ran to his side.
Chase then hopped up and hobbled to the sideline before sitting on the ground and rubbing his knee. Once trainers ran over to Chase, he got back up and began walking with one of the Bengals' athletic trainers.
"When it first happened, I sat back down on the ground, and I just took a minute with God and prayed for a second, then I got up," Chase said later that day. "So, other than that, I can't really think of nothing but God and making sure I'm alright."
On Wednesday, Head Coach Zac Taylor told the media that Chase was on track to play in their season opener against Tampa Bay. When asked if defensive end Shemar Stewart is set to play, Taylor responded by saying "it's a possibility."
During the press conference on Thursday, Chase affirmed that he was feeling fine and walking just fine the following day, adding that the issue was just building strength back around the injury.
Chase says that going into this NFL season, he has the same mindset he always has. He did note that the biggest difference this year is the team's energy.
When Chase was asked about his thoughts on the Bengals' current defense, he responded with the vibe he got from the players on the other side of the ball: "Energy."
The star wide receiver joked about having to wake up early for the Bengals' Week 1 matchup against Tampa Bay. But he said he's looking forward to being back in a jersey, and back on the field.
Where the Bengals stand
Cincinnati has missed the playoffs the past three seasons after making it to Super Bowl 56 in 2021 and the AFC championship game the following year.
“You can keep pushing it down the road, or you can talk about it now and say, ‘This is the year.’ And I’m tired of saying, ‘Next year, next year, next year.’ This is it,” Burrow said after a joint practice with the Chicago Bears on Aug. 20. “Life is too short to keep pushing things down the road.”
The Bengals return all of their starters on offense, but the upgrades on defense will go a long way in determining if they are contenders. After signing defensive end Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook in free agency, Cincinnati sent a first-round pick to the New York Giants the week before the draft for Dexter Lawrence.
Even though Cincinnati can put up plenty of points with Burrow throwing to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, it has lost seven games the past two years in which it scored at least 30 points but allowed 30 or more.
