Ja'Marr Chase eyeing Super Bowl, good health to begin Bengals season

There are now many signs pointing to Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase being full-go for the team's season-opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . That's a good starting point for the latest Bengals player to indicate his only goals for the 2026 season are to win the Super Bowl.

Speaking during a Sept. 10 news conference at Paycor Stadium, Chase said he felt good and has taken on his normal workload in practice. Chase injured his knee during an Aug. 25 training camp practice when he collided with cornerback DJ Turner II.

The missed practices for Chase that followed the collision were precautionary, he said. Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor said he anticipated both Chase and receiver Tee Higgins would be available for the Sept. 13 home opener, and Chase was listed in the Sept. 9-10 injury reports as a full participant in practice.

With health seemingly no longer threatening his ability to begin the season on time, Chase is set to begin his sixth NFL season with Super Bowl aspirations, but no personal or statistical aims he felt were worth mentioning during his Sept. 10 news conference.

"I don't have any personal goals this year," Chase said, "beside the Super Bowl and the AFC (championship). The other stuff is gonna come with that stuff."

Chase also begins 2026 as a team captain for the second year in a row. That task, Chase said, requires him to lead by example and with his words.

"The thing overall with being a captain is obviously, the whole team is looking at me," Chase said. "Everyone is really looking at me, asking me things and just expecting me to do the right thing. I always lead by example but I think it's just being more vocal."

Cincinnati Bengals practice on Thursday September 10