Joe Burrow has a reputation for staying calm and collected. However, he won’t hesitate to ‘coach’ his teammates when needed, keeping them in check. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase gives us the details.

“I like him when he’s f—ing pissed,” Chase told Cameron Wolfe. “I’m not going to lie. I like him when he’s like that. I like the fire that he has, you know what I’m saying? He don’t always bring it out.

“I don’t mind it, though, man. I’m not going to lie. I don’t mind it. That’s hard coaching. That’s critical coaching. He’s holding me accountable. I appreciate that. I would do the same to him.”

In July, insider Dan Hoard reported that Joe Burrow is a little more “stern” with players this year. During one practice, the quarterback “fired the football into the ground,” and looked “visibly pissed.”

It’s not hard to understand why Burrow might be playing with a chip on his shoulder heading into 2026. He put together an MVP-caliber year in 2024, and the Bengals still missed the playoffs. Last season was cut short for the star quarterback after only eight games because of a turf toe injury. He is entering his seventh year in the league and is yet to reach the result he deserves.

The team faltered big time without Joe Burrow last year. Cincinnati was 5-3 with him in the picture. And after he was sidelined, the team went 1-8. No wonder why Burrow has that fire in training camp.

“We don’t want to be in the spot we are in now, so something’s got to change,” Burrow said in January this year. “Whether it’s players we have continuing to improve and get better and play championship-caliber football or bringing in guys that will or whatever it may be. Obviously, something has to [change].”

In training camp, the quarterback confirmed that the team is locked in on a “championship mentality” in practice, and that there are “a lot of guys that want to go out and be great.”

The Chase-Burrow connection has already proven itself plenty. When both are on the field and clicking, it’s fair to call them one of the best quarterback-receiver duos anywhere in the league.

The offense was never Cincinnati’s problem. The defense was, and the front office responded this offseason accordingly. Landing Dexter Lawrence in a trade with the Giants was the headline move, followed by free agent additions Bryan Cook, Kyle Dugger, Jonathan Allen, and Boye Mafe, giving that side of the ball a real facelift.

Cincinnati opens the season at home on September 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And if training camp is any indication, they’ll be bringing a version of Joe Burrow that’s ready to make a statement early.