Locked and Loaded, Bengals Rookie Uploads Chiefs Pictures to His Phone Until They Meet Again

CINCINNATI – Daijahn Anthony can’t stop thinking about the Kansas City Chiefs.

Because he’s not even trying to.

In fact, the Cincinnati Bengals rookie safety is doing the opposite by bottling his trauma from Sunday’s fourth-and-16 penalty call and forcing himself to face it over and over every hour of the day.

“I’ve got them as my lock screen right now so that I have to see it every day,” Anthony said, referring to pictures of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce.

“I honestly can’t wait to see them again,” he added.

Bengals Rookie Daijahn Anthony Details Tears, Anger After Costly Penalty

Anthony said he’s watched his pass interference play against Kansas City receiver Rashee Rice 1,000 times.

The seventh-round pick from Ole Miss said it’s the hardest thing he’s ever had to deal with on the football field. And there isn’t a close second.

Burying the memory of it isn’t his style.

His phone is his bulletin board, and Anthony has used his lock screen in the past to force himself to look at something he didn’t like.

“In the bowl game last year, they had Penn State players talking on the internet, so I screen-shotted that post and put it on my lock screen so you don’t forget it,” Anthony said. “Remember what you’re doing it for. Just remember your why.”

The Rebels beat the Nittany Lions 38-25 in last year’s Peach Bowl, and Anthony recorded an interception that set up an Ole Miss touchdown in his final collegiate game.

Sunday was just his second professional game, and after the 26-25 loss to the Chiefs, Anthony declined to talk to reporters.

He then asked for another interview-free day Monday, promising to talk after practice Thursday.

When practice ended today, he asked a Bengals media relations employee, “Are we doing this right now?” and went and stood at his locker answering every question and re-opening the wound, talking about how much he cried and how badly the mistake hurt.

New PFN #Bengals Pod! @ByJayMorrison and I review Tuesday's joint practice against the Colts before diving into our latest 53-man roster projections.

Predictions on Matt Lee, Maema Njongmeta, Daijahn Anthony, and others ahead of preseason Week 3:https://t.co/4B63Xk8UEU

— Dallas Robinson (@DallasDRobinson) August 21, 2024

He also talked about how confident he is that he’ll atone for it.

And Anthony thanked his teammates, such as Joseph Ossai, who suffered a similar costly late-game penalty against the Chiefs in the 2022 AFC Championship Game, for talking him down and building him up.

Ossai and Anthony have struck up a friendship and hang out away from the stadium. Ossai told Anthony about his late hit on Mahomes and the dark places it took him to well before they ever got to Kansas City weekend.

After the game, Anthony said there were a bunch of teammates who shared moments from early in their career when a mistake cost the team a game and they wondered how long it would follow them.

“My teammates and coaches really got behind me and lifted me up every single moment,” he said. “I just salute my coaches and the whole organization for staying by my side.”

While Anthony doesn’t want to forget about the Chiefs, which is why he forces himself to look at them every time he checks his phone, he does want to move forward.

Most players enjoyed the extra day off due to the game week schedule for a Monday contest, but Anthony would have rather come to work Wednesday.

“I couldn’t wait to get to practice today,” he said. “It’s like playing cornerback, you just have to have that next-play mentality. It’s a new week. Let’s go take it out on the Commanders.”