Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase returned to practice today, but that doesn’t mean he was in a good mood.
In fact, it was quite the opposite.
The normally loquacious Chase was short with a lot of answers during his post-practice interview, and when a reporter pointed out it seemed like he had an edge about him, he admitted he did.
But he wouldn’t say why.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase Woke Up Pissed Off and Let the Chiefs Know It
“I wish I could say. I can’t say,” Chase said. “Some days I wake up pissed off. Today’s one of them.”
Chase also wouldn’t say whether he’s playing Sunday. But he didn’t have to.
Ja’Marr Chase reporting for practice pic.twitter.com/kwmPzkMJFB
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) December 28, 2023
The way he talked about the Kansas City defense, it’s clear he intends to be on the field Sunday to back up his words.
It started when he was asked what stands out about the Chiefs secondary.
“If I’m being honest, nothing,” Chase said. “They just know how to play us. They know the leverages; they know what splits we gonna be in. They throw a little double-doubles at us to stop the two best players on the outside. That’s all they do.”
“It’s not like they got a Jalen Ramsey on they squad,” he added, referring to Miami’s three-time All-Pro cornerback.
When a reporter followed up and asked Chase how he thinks those comments will be received in the Kansas City locker room, he said:
“They can take it how they want. That’s why they double everybody because they can’t do it one on one. The best player on they team is (cornerback L’Jarius Sneed), and that’s a fact. Everybody knows that. That’s why they double-double everything they see.”
“I’m not bugged about it,” he continued. “They know I’m good. They know how to play us. That’s what it is. But it’s not like they got a superstar on they defense.”
Asked about the loss of Kansas City safety Bryan Cook, Chase said:
“I don’t even know who that it is. Is that No. 6? I don’t know. Just a guy to me. He ain’t Jessie Bates to me.”
That’s when Chase came as close as he would come to saying he’s playing Sunday. He said physically he’s good to go, the trainers have cleared him, and it’s up to him whether he plays.
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And that decision, he said, is more mental than physical, and targeting the Kansas City defense is part of it.
“It’s just getting myself mentally ready to play,” he said. “I’m just adding fire to fuel right now. They gonna take this and run with it. I hope they post in their locker room. It’s all right, though. As long as I’m mentally ready to play, I’ll be there.”
The back and forth between the teams has been ongoing, from Justin Reid calling Hayden Hurst by the wrong name to Mike Hilton calling Arrowhead to Burrowhead to Chris Jones’ comments after last year’s AFC Championship Game.
Chase knows what it is, and he knows what he’s doing, right?
“Hell yeah,” he said. “They talk the most sh–. That’s why I love it.”
Which Chiefs player talks the most?
“Is Willie Gay still there?” Chase asked.
So is it all good fun, or is there real hate between the teams?
“No comment,” Chase said.
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