Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesOne year after Cincinnati Bengals star Ja'Marr Chase provided the Kansas City Chiefs with some bulletin board material going into the 2023 season, Joe Burrow got an early start on giving them something new to use in 2024.
During a special live episode of the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce from the University of Cincinnati, Burrow made a guest appearance and was asked about the Bengals' rivalry with Kansas City.
"They have great players, we have great players," Burrow said (h/t The Athletic's Justin Williams). "I think we match up pretty well with them. We're kind of built to beat them."
Chase made headlines last offseason when he said Burrow was the best player in the NFL, then responded "Pat who?" when he was informed his quarterback ranked Patrick Mahomes as the top player.
B/R Gridiron @brgridiron"Pat who?"<br><br>Ja'Marr Chase says Joe Burrow is the best player in the NFL 👀<br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/bobbystroupe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bobbystroupe</a>)<a href="https://t.co/QWCQjkzpNQ">pic.twitter.com/QWCQjkzpNQ</a>
Mahomes responded to the dig by posting a picture of himself wearing his two Super Bowl rings.
Patrick Mahomes II @PatrickMahomesThat's Who 💍💍 <a href="https://t.co/pIs95yWMTS">pic.twitter.com/pIs95yWMTS</a>
The Chiefs and Mahomes have since added a third Super Bowl title to their resume from the 2023 season. They overcame an underwhelming regular season to defeat the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers to earn the franchise's third Lombardi Trophy in the past five seasons.
Burrow's trash talk, by comparison, is pretty tame. He didn't even give a full-throated endorsement of the Bengals being better than the Chiefs, based on his use of "kind of" before saying they were built to beat them.
It's not even clear if the Bengals are built to beat the Chiefs at this point, especially with Tee Higgins still waiting for a resolution to his trade request.
Cincinnati does have bragging rights over every other AFC team because it's the only one that has defeated the Chiefs in the playoffs since the 2019 season.
Burrow and the Bengals overcame a 21-3 deficit to win the 2021 AFC Championship Game in overtime. The Chiefs got their revenge the following year with a 23-20 victory in the AFC title game.
A torn ligament in his right wrist ended Burrow's 2023 season after 10 games. The Bengals missed the postseason for the first time since 2020.
Cincinnati will get the opportunity to prove if it is built to beat the Chiefs when the two teams play during the 2024 regular season. The game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium at a date to be determined when the NFL unveils the full schedule.
ncG1vNJzZmianJqupLTEq6meqJ%2BnwW%2BvzqZmmqqknrCtsdJoaGlpYWuCeYCMm5ynn5GhwG62zp5km62ip7y4edOao6SrXZi1qrHFrGSroaaWubPFjLCcq51doLavsIyonWaapZ65tXnTqGSbnZGperW0xKY%3D