AFC Notes: Ja’Marr Chase Contract, Cam Heyward, Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

During an interview at the Pro Bowl, Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase was asked what he is looking for in his next contract.

“I hope I get what’s fair at the end of the day – what my worth is at the end of the day,” Chase said, via Laura Rutledge of ESPN. “Hopefully I don’t put too much pressure on anybody, I just want it to be fair.”

“Fair is what I deserve,” Chase added. “I can’t really say everything I want to say. It’s what I deserve, it’s what I’ve worked for, how hard I worked for. It’s a written story already. It should be fair change.”

• Bengals QB Joe Burrow said Chase is more than deserving of a contract extension: “I don’t know what more he could show and do to prove himself. We have several guys like that, who have stepped up for us, and deserve to be paid—deserve to be paid what they’re worth.” (Albert Breer)

Browns

Browns HC Kevin Stefanski said the team believes in their offensive system and will tailor their approach around whoever they bring in with new OC Tommy Rees leading the offense. 

“When you win three games, you didn’t do much very well,” Stefanski said, via PFT. “So, we’re looking at everything. And certainly, you talk about the quarterback position, it is important when it comes to winning and losing — we get that. We’ve had different guys that we’ve won with, so we believe in our system and a system that’s going to adapt to our best players. And certainly, you’re thinking about the quarterback position when it comes to that. But for us right now, it’s about putting the system in with Tommy Rees and this offensive staff and making sure it’s adaptable to whomever we have out there at all of those spots.”

Steelers

Steelers DL Cameron Heyward believes the team fell short in the playoffs because of the defensive side of the ball.

“I think every year we’re striving to win a Super Bowl, and when we fall up short we all have to own it,” Heyward said, via PFT. “And we all have to be better because of it. I don’t think we had enough cohesion on defense to be sound. That starts with players executing at a higher rate. I think we have the guys in the room, but, going forward, we have to clean up a lot of things.”