CINCINNATI Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase knows how to hold a grudge.
The 24-year-old three-time Pro Bowler went viral after refusing to name Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Piece by piece, the NFL has been releasing its annual list of Top 100 players – as voted by their peers.
As of Wednesday, the top 60 had not yet been revealed.
However, it appears that Mahomes’ position at the top was leaked in advance by the NFL via X.
In a clip featuring an interview with Chase, he was asked to name the player first.
“I’m not saying him. I give credit where it’s due, but I’m not saying his name,” Chase said stubbornly.
Despite being pressed on the issue, Chase remained firm on the issue.
After reiterating that he would not say Mahomes’ name, he said that of his Bengals quarterback, Joe Burrow, before returning to deny the interviewer’s request.
“I’m not that guy’s name. He’s good. He’s amazing. He’s good. I’m not going to lie,” Chase admitted.
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“But I’m salty. I’m a little salty. Two years in a row. But I’m putting Burrow first.”
Mahomes held the top spot on both the 2021 and 2023 NFL rosters, with Tom Brady taking bragging rights after his final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Chase’s defiant resistance was met with praise from fans at X.
“I love it! You know he has all the respect in the world for him, but he has this [Michael] Jordan’s level of [competitiveness] in it,” wrote one of them.
“This is the kind of generational hatred I like to see,” jokes a second.
“We need more of this,” replied another.
While a fourth commented: “Mahomes on the head without paying rent.”
Chase’s fight with Mahomes is understandable.
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Not only did he beat Burrow for the No. 1 ranking, but Mahomes also led the Chiefs to a victory against Cincinnati in the 2022 Conference Championship — the Bengals’ most recent trip to the Playoffs.
Luckily for Chase and Co., they will have the chance to face Kansas City once again in Week 2 of next season.
But before then, Chase and the Bengals hope they can come to an agreement on a new contract for the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Chase is set to enter the fourth year of his rookie contract, with the team having already activated his fifth-year contract.
“We’re going to strive to make it happen,” team owner Mike Brown told Cincinnati’s NBC affiliate. WLWT to sign a new deal with Chase.
“I can’t tell you when it will be done.”
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