One of the NFL’s fiercest new rivalries is spilling off the field.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase didn’t want to mention Patrick Mahomes when describing his annual ranking of the NFL’s top 100 players.
“I’m not gonna say his name,” Chase joked when asked who the best player on the list was. “Obviously I’ll give him credit when I have to, but I’m not gonna say his name.”
Chase mentioned only one player by name: his own quarterback, Joe Burrow.
But he acknowledged how talented Mahomes is.
“He’s good. I’m not gonna lie, he’s great,” Chase said with a wry smile, “But I’m not happy. I’m a little bit frustrated. Two years in a row. But I put Burrow first.”
Chase seemed to allude to the fact that he and Cincinnati lost two consecutive close games to the Chiefs, including the 2022 AFC Championship Game and Week 17 of 2023.
Cincinnati and Kansas City have met a whopping five times over the past three years, including twice in the AFC title game.
The Bengals hold a 3-2 head-to-head advantage, having defeated the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium to advance to Super Bowl 56 in 2021.
While Mahomes and the Chiefs won their second consecutive Lombardi Trophy title last year, the Bengals, who missed Burrow due to a season-ending wrist injury, went 9-8 and missed the playoffs for the first time in three years.
Chase, 24, has had a much better record against the Chiefs in his career, averaging 6.6 catches, 106.6 yards and 0.8 touchdowns per game against the AFC’s top teams.
Mahomes ranked first on last year’s NFL Top 100 list and is widely expected to retain his top spot this year despite a disjointed offensive line that led to a drop in his overall numbers.
Meanwhile, Chase was ranked 39th last year but is now ranked 24th in 2022.
Chase and the Bengals, in their new look, will begin the 2024 regular season against the New England Patriots and will try for revenge in Week 2 at Arrowhead Stadium.
