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Ja'Marr Chase confronts Zac Taylor on sideline amid Bengals offensive struggles vs. Broncos

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones09/30/25brianjones_93
Ja'Marr Chase (1)
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase got into a heated confrontation with head coach Zac Taylor during the game against the Denver Broncos on Monday night. It’s not clear what Chase said to Taylor, but based on how the Bengals were playing at the time, he was clearly not happy with how the offense was playing.

The Bengals fell to the Broncos 28-3, and Chase only had four receptions for 24 yards. Quarterback Jake Browning was starting for an injured Joe Burrow and threw for just 125 yards.

One reason Chase did not have a productive game could be that he was facing Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. In 2024, Surtain registered 45 tackles, four interceptions, 11 passes defended, and one defensive touchdown.

“I think [Chase and Surtain] cherish the moment,” Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters said before the game, per ESPN. “They know it’s best against best. They know that, ‘If I can win that battle, that’s going to even raise my level up, my name and whatever else.'”

Can Ja’Marr Chase help turn things around for the Bengals?

Entering the Monday night game, Ja’Marr Chase caught 21 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown. The former LSU star had a monster 2024 season, catching 127 passes for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. His production last year led to him finishing third in Offensive Player of the Year voting and eighth in MVP voting.

Earlier this month, Chase talked about Burrow being out for three months due to a toe injury. “It’s a rollercoaster,” Chase said, per the Bengals’ official website. “Every game is going to be a rollercoaster. Every week from here on out, we’ve got to focus and execute. That’s the only thing. Our quarterback got (knocked) down, we’ve got to (say) ‘Next man up,’ and it’s on from there.”

After winning the first two games of the year, the Bengals have lost their last two games, and things could go off the rails based on how the team looked on Monday. Cincinnati only posted 159 yards of total offense and allowed the Broncos to rack up 512 yards. Getting Chase involved more will be key moving forward, but that depends on if Browning can play at a high level consistently.