Bills GM Brandon Beane calls out Bengals: ‘I don’t want to suck bad enough to have to get Ja’Marr Chase’

From the start of Sunday’s AFC Divisional Round game between the Bengals and the Bills, it was clear which team had the upper hand. The Bengals’ impressive 27-10 victory puts them in the AFC Championship game for the second year in a row and further proves they can compete (and win) against the best.

The Bengals’ recent success has a lot to do with quarterback Joe Burrow as well as other stars, like receiver Ja’Marr Chase. They have a young squad eager to erase the feelings of last year’s Super Bowl loss to the Rams with a win this year and their readiness has been on display throughout the season, but especially lately.

They’re on a 10-fight winning streak and you have to go all the way back to Halloween to find a loss.

During his post-season press conference, Bills general manager Brandon Beane spoke about the Bengals’ success, calling them a bit about how they became a force in the AFC. He said their youth and the ability to pay players lower salaries were among the reasons they won, explaining the differences in cap space between the two franchises.

“These guys are on their rookie contracts. We’re paying Stefon Diggs a pretty high amount. We’re paying Josh Allen a pretty high amount. So, there [are] cap constraints, but they have a really good team,” Beane said (via Sports Illustrated). “They have good young players. We will try to get as many good players as possible through the draft and free agency. But, again, our ceiling situation is a bit different.”

Beane said Cincinnati’s losing streak led them to sign a star player early in the draft, a position he wouldn’t want to be in.

“They’ve got a good team. They have, right now, the benefit of a rookie quarterback contract. They’ve had a tough few years and, without going into too much of their build, I don’t want to be bad enough to having to get Ja’Marr Chase,” Beane said. “He’s a hell of a talent, I would love to have him. But you have to go through difficult years to do that.”

The “talent devil” is heading to the AFC Championship game, while the Bills have to watch from home. Chase was drafted by the Bengals in 2021 with the No. 5 overall pick.

This season, he’s had 87 receptions for 1,046 yards, averaging 12 yards per reception and nine touchdowns. In his career, the 22-year-old has 168 receptions for 2,501 yards and 22 touchdowns. His resume also includes NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 and two Pro Bowl selections.