Ja'Marr Chase seemingly had a pointed comment aimed at his Cincinnati Bengals teammates.
The Bengals' 2024 season opener against the Patriots left much to be desired, with Cincinnati falling 16-10 to New England. Star quarterback Joe Burrow appeared to feel still the effects of the wrist injury that ended his 2023 season early, throwing for only 164 yards, and completing 21-of-29 pass attempts.
Chase , on the other hand, was Burrow's most targeted receiver, hauling in six receptions for 62 yards with no touchdowns. With how high the expectations were for the Bengals heading into the season, falling to the rebuilding Patriots was not something Cincinnati expected and Chase made it known that he expected more from his teammates.
Speaking to reporters just days before the Bengals' highly-anticipated Week 2 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, the star receiver sent a quick but impassioned message to his teammates.
"Everybody knows that," Chase said when asked his thoughts on if Cincinnati is the cream of the crop in the AFC. "It's not no 'if.' We are the team to beat in the AFC and we know it and we gotta act like it. And we gotta play like it too."
Chase added that the pressure to win comes from inside the locker room and not what is being said outside of the team. "We're not really worried about outsiders man," he continued. "We're not worried about all of that. All that noise y'all making and stuff, we see it, we hear it but we're not worried about it. At the end of the day, it's about the team and what we're doing on the field.
"Outside people not on the field telling us what we should be doing on the field. So I'll let them stay outside and let them make their own comments."
Even with the Bengals facing off against the reigning champion Chiefs on Sunday, Chase believes the "energy" is there for both sides. "I'm sure they know we don't like them, we know they don't like us," he added. "So the energy's already there. It's not really much we gotta say now to this point now. It's been four years now so everyone gets it."
Regarding the trash talk between him and Chiefs players, Chase believes the media blows it out of proportion when the talk is meant to push each player on the field. "When the media comes in, y'all just blow it up and then make some stuff out of it," Chase told reporters. "I just wait until the game comes now. I'm smarter than that now. I'm four years in."
It remains to be seen how the Bengals will fair against the reigning champions this time around. What is clear is that Cincinnati often gives Kansas City a battle whenever the two teams match up.
The Bengals hold the distinction of being the only team to have defeated the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game in the last five seasons. Cincinnati defeated Kansas City 27-24 to advance to the Super Bowl, losing to the Los Angeles Rams.
Still, the Bengals' success hinges on how healthy Burrow is and if he can connect with Chase more effectively. Fans were alarmed to see Burrow clutching his wrist and seemingly having difficulty picking up a bottle, though he spoke out on the incident, claiming nothing was amiss.
Want to watch more live sports? Peacock has your favorite sports, shows, and more all in one place. Peacock offers plans starting at $7.99 so you can stream live sports like NFL, Premier League, and Big Ten Football.
Local News
