After playing the Chiefs in back-to-back AFC Championship Games, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow didn’t have the chance for a rubber match in 2023 due to a season-ending wrist injury.

But Cincinnati’s signal-caller still paid plenty of attention to what Kansas City did to capture a second consecutive Super Bowl title.

“Yeah, they were great,” Burrow said in his Tuesday press conference when asked about the Chiefs. “Their defense was one of the best in the league, they have great players on that side of the ball. And then, obviously, they’ve got Patrick and Travis and their O-line and those playmakers.

“They’re the gold standard right now. Everybody’s chasing them — obviously, they’re back-to-back world champs. Somebody’s got to knock them off, I’m hoping it’s us.”

To that end, Burrow said he’s been pleased with the offseason moves Cincinnati made to keep the team competitive in 2024.

“I feel good about all the guys we brought in — offense and defense,” Burrow said. “We brought in the right kinds of guys, good players, guys that we’ve played against in the past that we’ve had experience with that we know what they have out there. And then we’ll see what the rookies have when they come in. It’s always nice when those guys get into the building — you can start to really build that team culture and integrate those guys into it. So, I’m excited about where the team’s at.”