Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow knows what it feels like to come close to the Super Bowl. But as the 2026 season approaches, he seems to be sensing something different this time.

Speaking on the Chasing No. 1 Show with Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and NFL influencer Annie Agar on September 2, 2026, Joe Burrow opened up about his Super Bowl goal for 2026 and why he feels different about the team this year. 

“I just want to win this year. I just want to win. I can really feel it in my bones, in my soul this year,” Burrow said.

Burrow believes the changes on defense have brought a different energy to the team, especially with the arrival of experienced players. 

“We brought in a lot of the right guys, a lot of the right people with the right mindsets to go and chase this goal of winning a Super Bowl and winning as many games as we can and being the best possible team that we can,” Burrow said on the Chasing No. 1 Show on YouTube. 

A big reason for Burrow’s confidence is the work Cincinnati did on defense this offseason. The Bengals added Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen and Bryan Cook, while also bringing in Dexter Lawrence through a trade. 

The changes come after Cincinnati finished 2025 with a 6-11 record and allowed 492 points, ranking 30th in the NFL. The Bengals also allowed 28.9 points per game, showing why improving the defense became a priority this offseason.

According to NFL.com, Burrow has been building toward this belief throughout the offseason. He has praised the Bengals’ moves, compared the team to his 2019 LSU squad and said he is trying to manifest another Super Bowl run. 

Burrow’s confidence comes from the changes Cincinnati made this offseason, giving the Bengals a stronger chance to compete for the Super Bowl in 2026.

As Burrow looks ahead to another Super Bowl run, Chase also sees a familiar spark in the Bengals’ defense. 

Ja’Marr Chase sees 2021 energy in Bengals’ defense

In the same Chasing No. 1 Show episode, Ja’Marr Chase said he can feel a different energy from the Bengals’ defense and compared it to the unit that helped Cincinnati reach the Super Bowl in 2021. 

“The energy, I can feel it too,” Chase said. “And the fact that our defense talks a little trash, I like that...And it lowkey feels like 2021 all over again when the guys are talking a lot of trash, because we had a lot of guys that were talking on defense.” 

Chase’s rookie season came in 2021, when the Bengals reached the Super Bowl. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and earned a Pro Bowl selection during a season when the Bengals’ defense played a key role in their Super Bowl run.

If that energy continues into the regular season, the Bengals could have a defense capable of matching the confidence Burrow and Chase already have about making another Super Bowl run. 

Written by

Divyanshi Raj