With just two weeks left in the 2025 season, theBengals currently sit at 5-10. The playoff talk is gone; still, pride is all that remains, along with confidence. And for Ja’Marr Chase, there is something personal on the line. And to get there, he needs his quarterback, Joe Burrow.

Ahead of the trip to the Valley of the Sun to face the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium, Chase faced the media. The questions were simple. The season is almost done. What is left to play for? And Chase did not dodge it.

“If I’m being honest, I think my biggest thing on this list is to score a touchdown,” said Chase. “I think I’ve been overdue since like Week 7.”

So naturally, that puts the spotlight on Burrow. Chase has already locked in his fifth straight Pro Bowl. Yet the goal feels smaller. Almost strange. Still, context matters. Chase sits in the top four in the league in catches and yards. Defenses still fear him. However, the scores have not followed. Quietly, this is shaping up to be his lowest touchdown season.

To put numbers to it, Chase has been busy. Through 14 games, he has 110 catches. He has 1,256 yards. Yet there are only five touchdowns. That is the gap. In 2023, his lowest total was seven. Back in 2021, he hit nine scores in just 12 games. Last year, he ruled the league with the Triple Crown and 17 touchdowns. Compared to that, this season feels incomplete.

Still, zoom out, and the Bengals’ offense is not broken. Tee Higgins has been money in the red zone. Ten touchdowns already. That is tied for his best. Cincinnati is also tied for third in the league with 31 total touchdowns. The production is there. What changed was timing. Burrow’s turf toe injury cost him nine games. That absence reshaped everything, especially Chase’s chances near the goal line.

Even so, Chase continues to advocate for his teammates while pursuing his own goals.

Ja’Marr Chase called out Tee Higgins’ Pro Bowl snub

Ja’Marr Chase earned his fifth straight Pro Bowl nod since entering the league in 2021. That part felt routine. However, something else did not sit right with him. As the celebrations rolled in across Who Dey Nation, Chase noticed a familiar name missing. Tee Higgins. So instead of staying quiet, Chase chose to speak up.

Chase took to X and made his stance clear: “Why tee ain’t first team pro bowl 🫤” he wrote.

The message was short. Still, it carried weight. Especially knowing Pro Bowl spots come from votes by fans, coaches, and players. Chase, meanwhile, earned another starting nod at wide receiver for the second straight year. Higgins did fall just short, landing as a second alternate. So technically, the door is open.

Still, the frustration makes sense. Higgins has been steady for years at Paycor Stadium. Yet the Pro Bowl honor has never come. Across six NFL seasons, including 2025, his production speaks loudly. Before this year, he totaled 330 catches, 4,595 yards, and 34 touchdowns in 70 regular-season games. Even more, he cleared 900 yards in four of his first five seasons. He also stacked back-to-back 1,000-yard years in 2021 and 2022.

Beyond Sundays in the regular season, Higgins shows up in January, too. He has played in seven playoff games. He ranks second in Bengals history in postseason catches with 31 and yards with 457. Back in March, Cincinnati locked him in with a four-year, $115 million deal. Drafted No. 33 overall in 2020, Higgins has done everything asked. And now, Chase is making sure the league hears it.