Posted December 27, 2025 — Cincinnati, Ohio

The Bengals’ locker room is a place accustomed to noise, swagger, and big declarations. But on Boxing Day, as reporters filtered into Paycor Stadium, there was a different kind of buzz surrounding star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Not the usual kind—the playoff kind. The legacy kind. The “what happens next?” kind.

The 24-year-old receiver stood in front of his locker stall, still in his pads, shoulders loose, voice steady, eyes carrying the focus of a player who knows the world is watching—but refuses to blink first.

Georgia native. LSU legend. NFL superstar. And now, a man with one final mission for 2025:

To score again.

Not for fantasy football headlines. Not for trophies or trending topics. But for something far more primal.

The end zone.

A Season of Dominance… Except the One Stat That Matters Most

Ja’Marr Chase has been a statistical earthquake all season long. Week after week, he’s punished defenses with route precision, separation speed, and hands that seem engineered by SEC football gods. He ranks in the top five league-wide in both receiving yards and total receptions. He also leads Cincinnati’s offense in explosive play rate, yards after catch per reception, and contested catch efficiency. Quarterbacks dream of targets like him. Defenses lose sleep over players like him.

But touchdowns?

Those have eluded him like a ghost in the fog.

Five scores in the first seven games—followed by a drought that has lasted since October 16.

Since Week Seven.

Since the air was still warm.

Since Burrow’s wrist was fully healthy.

Since everything was different.

Despite his dominance, Chase currently sits tied for 36th in receiving touchdowns across the NFL—an unthinkable placement for a player who has rewritten franchise history for four straight seasons. His 2025 stat sheet is elite by every measure, yet he remains painfully absent from the one category that defines immortality for receivers:

TDs.

“I Think My Biggest Thing on This List Is Just to Score Another Touchdown.”

Chase didn’t dance around the question. He tackled it head-on.

“I think my biggest thing on this list is just to score another touchdown,” Chase said bluntly, addressing a semicircle of reporters including CLNS Media’s Mike Petraglia. “I don’t think I’ve been overdue since like, Week Seven. So my biggest thing is just trying to get an end zone, find the end zone.”

No metaphors. No fluff. Just intent.

He continued, shrugging lightly but speaking with an edge that told the room this wasn’t frustration—it was ignition.

“As much as the accolades are something I want. I’m not really worried about it anymore and stuff like that. I work my ass off to put in all the stats I can during the time that I need to.”

The message was clear:

Don’t measure me by recognition.
Measure me by film.
By grind.
By production.
By hunger.

And hunger is something Chase still has plenty of.

Pro Bowl Selection #5: A Compliment, Not the Goal

Later that day, the NFL officially announced Chase as Cincinnati’s lone representative for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games. While some fans viewed the selection as a consolation prize in a season where the Bengals have fought through injuries, inconsistency, and defensive turmoil, Chase saw it differently.

A milestone, not a medal.

A compliment, not a finish line.

“A good opportunity to get back out there. Just a good compliment on stacking my years, being the same person every year,” Chase said about the honor.

The selection also elevated him into rare company:

• 6th player in Bengals history with at least 5 Pro Bowl selections

• Joins Anthony Muñoz (11), Geno Atkins (8), A.J. Green (7), Chad Johnson (6), and Lemar Parrish (6)

• Ties A.J. Green’s franchise record for consecutive Pro Bowl selections (5 in a row)

Impressive? Yes.

But as Chase himself admitted—he’s stacking years, not collecting moments.

The consistency is the story. The longevity is the weapon. The record books are the side quest.

The real quest?

One more touchdown before 2025 ends.

The Final Battlefield: Arizona Cardinals (3-12)

Sunday, December 28, 2025. 1:00 PM ET. Seahawks fans may own the West Coast. Cowboys fans may scream loudest. But on Sunday, all eyes turn to Cincinnati—where Chase faces the 3-12 Arizona Cardinals.

A team statistically eliminated from playoff contention. A defense ranked in the bottom five in third-down stops, red-zone efficiency, and man-coverage success rate. A secondary that has struggled against elite receiver motion and vertical releases all season long.

On paper, it looks like a mismatch.

On film, it looks like opportunity.

In narrative, it looks like destiny knocking on the door.

Why This Matters to Cincinnati More Than the Pro Bowl

For the Bengals, 2025 has been a turbulent roller coaster. Joe Burrow remains an MVP-level signal caller when upright, but the offensive line has fluctuated between cohesion and collapse. The defense was historically inefficient through the first 12 weeks before finally finding life in December—largely thanks to DJ Turner II locking down coverage reliability. The division race slipped early, then tightened late. The playoff math remains alive, but delicate.

And through all of it, one thing has remained constant:

When Burrow needs a play, he looks for 1.
Ja’Marr Chase.

This season, Chase has been the engine that kept the Bengals competitive even when the car looked broken.

Now the Bengals want something in return:

Finish strong.
Finish loud.
Finish in the end zone.

A Man Who Measures Himself by Evidence, Not Applause

Some players chase validation.

Chase evidence.

And evidence says this:

He belongs in the conversation of the league’s best receivers—not because he wants to be there, but because he has forced his way there every season since his rookie debut.

The Pro Bowl voters may have hesitated in 2025.

The film does not.

And if he scores Sunday?

The drought narrative ends.
The legacy narrative grows.
And the Bengals get exactly what they want:

A star who turns snubs into fire, silence into statement, and opportunity into touchdown.