11 July 2023 , 22:56
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Joe Burrow has thrown 45 touchdowns to Ja'Marr Chase at both college, with LSU, and the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL, with the quarterback stating what makes them such a strong duo.
"We have a strong bond off the field and that translates onto the field," Burrow said. "I think everybody can see that. And you’re not going to be a great team if your best players aren’t close, trust each other and work really hard. And I think as a team, all of our guys that are in that position have those traits."
As well as being both incredible players in their own right, the two have certainly been aided by one another - with Burrow looking to Chase and putting trust in him on big plays across the last four years.
After going through college and being drafted to the same team, the two have remained close friends - something which Burrow has suggested has helped them on the field.
"I think also our guys understand how critical it is that you build that bond off the field," Burrow added. "Not just quarterback and receiver, but we have our defensive guys hanging out with offensive guys and vice versa.
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"And I think it’s kind of rare. So we work really hard to establish that trust and that bond because our guys know how critical that is to winning every day."
And Burrow hopes to keep Chase around for the foreseeable future - even if it means him taking less money himself from his upcoming extension talks.
Chase and Burrow are close friends off the fieldEarlier this off-season, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts briefly became the highest-paid player in NFL history before the Baltimore Ravens gave an even bigger deal to Lamar Jackson.
Burrow is reportedly already in talks on his extension and has already insinuated that he may be willing to take less to keep star players on the team. Chase and fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins are set to become free agents in the next few years.
Burrow told reporters earlier this off-season: "I'm involved. That's in the works. That's not really something that I like to play out in the media. Just the way I think they want to do business, I want to do business, we prefer to keep that between us.
"I'm pretty clear on what I want in the contract and what I think is best for myself and the team. So we're on the road to making that happen.
"Whenever you have guys on the team that need to be paid, that's always on your mind. You want that to be a focal point, so we're working to make that happen."