Ja'Marr Chase wants Joe Burrow's calf injury to be fully healed when the quarterback returns to the field. Even if it means the Cincinnati Bengals' quarterback can't play to start the 2023 NFL season. In fact, Ja'Marr Chase seemingly wants Joe Burrow to be overly cautious, setting his sights on a return after Week 1.

In an appearance on NFL Network, Chase said that he told Burrow to skip the Bengals' season opener to make sure that he's ready for a playoff run. Chase missed five games with a hip injury last season. The receiver said he could've returned earlier, but he skipped an additional week to make sure that he wouldn't re-injure himself.

“I told him, in all honesty, I don’t want him there,” Chase said, via ProFootballTalk. “I sat out an extra game just to let my hip heal all the way up. You don’t want to cause problems later in the season. As long as you’re there after Week Five and on, we’re good, brother.”

Because Burrow suffered his calf injury at the start of training camp, there's a chance that he'll be ready for Week 1. Neither the Bengals nor Burrow has set an exact target date for the quarterback's return.

“He told me he’s going to see how he feels when the time comes,” Chase said of Burrow. “He doesn’t know when he’ll be back, but he’ll be back soon.”

Calf injuries can be tricky, the ultimate example coming in the 2019 NBA playoffs. Kevin Durant missed several weeks with a calf injury. When Durant returned for Game 5 of the NBA Finals, he suffered a torn Achilles that cost him an entire year of basketball.

Burrow is no stranger to serious injuries in the NFL. His rookie season was cut short after 10 games when he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee.

The Bengals have championship aspirations. No longer is winning an AFC North title considered to be a successful season in Cincinnati. It would make sense for Burrow to be extra cautious, returning later rather than sooner so that he's good to go when the Bengal needs him most.

Burrow and Chase have led Cincinnati to consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances. The Bengals have never won a Super Bowl.