Kansas City Chiefs tight end and reigning Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce has fiercely responded to comments made by JaMarr Chase, who believes that Joe Burrow is the best quarterback in the NFL.
Last week during the Cincinnati Bengals minicamp, Chase was asked who he believes to be the best player in the NFL. He responded by listing Burrow - but that wasn't the catalyst that added to the budding Bengals and Chiefs rivalry.
Chase added to his comments, throwing shade at Patrick Mahomes by pretending he was unaware of who he was. "Joe Burrow. Everybody knows that. That’s easy. MVP. Pat Who?" he finished. That didn't go over well with Kelce, who said the comments were bold towards his QB, with whom he shares a tight bond and two Super Bowls.
"It is what it is, dog," Kelce said on the New Heights podcast. "Who doesn’t love some good locker room banter, man? Shoutout to Ja’Marr Chase for holding it down for his QB, but don’t you ever disrespect Pat Mahomes now. If you want to talk your s**t, talk your s**t, pimp. Just better back it up," finished Kelce.
Mahomes seemingly responded to the message by Chase on social media, although not addressing the letter directly. Instead, he posted a photo of himself on Twitter with his two Super Bowl rings, with the quote "that's who" about Chase pretending not to know who he was.
The Chiefs and Bengals have played against each other the past two seasons, with both teams attempting to establish themselves as kings of the AFC. Both teams' competitive nature, high-powered offenses, and outspoken players have created a rivalry that is still far from over.
During the 2021 season, the Bengals beat the Mahomes-led Chiefs in the AFC Championship, punching their ticket to Super Bowl LVI despite losing. A year later, the Chiefs returned the favor by beating the Bengals to make it to the Super Bowl and eventually winning the game.
While Chase demonstrated great belief in his quarterback, even Burrow confessed that Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league. After OTAs, Burrow addressed Mahomes to the media in a press conference.
"I don't think there's any argument right now," Burrow said. "It's Pat (Mahomes). He's the one to knock off until somebody has a better year than he's had. Whenever you’re at the top of what you do, you always respect those guys because you know the work it takes to get to that point."
One week before Burrow's comments, Mahomes was asked a similar question, ranking the three most difficult opponents he's ever had to play against. The reigning Super Bowl MVP listed Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and Von Miller as his greatest adversaries - without mentioning any current players on the Bengals.
Ironically, all three players anointed by Mahomes were teammates on the LA Rams defense that spearheaded the team's win at Super Bowl LVI against the Bengals. Burrow was the number one-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and is already in the conversation regarding being one of the best quarterbacks and young players in the NFL.
With both teams retaining key pieces on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, they will likely continue to face each other during big games in the near future.
