Why Ja'Marr Chase naming the Chiefs as his biggest rival makes sense
· Yahoo Sports
The Cincinnati Bengals-Pittsburgh Steelers rivalry is synonymous with hatred.
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From coaches and players nearly fighting on the field during playoff games to spit flying and double birds being thrown up, no punches are ever pulled in this matchup.
While Steelers fans may waffle on whether their biggest rival is the Bengals or the Baltimore Ravens, Bengals fans wouldn't hesitate, saying the sight of those yellow Terrible Towels makes them physically ill.
However, Ja'Marr Chase took a rather surprising stance when asked by the media about the rivalry on Thursday, saying the Kansas City Chiefs are his biggest rival and that they outrank the Steelers by a wide margin.
It wouldn't have been surprising if Chase had stuck to the party line, saying Pittsburgh is his biggest rival and that he looks forward to sticking it to the Steelers every time they play. But he didn't; instead, he threw shade at a team that isn't in the Bengals' division.
However, when you actually think about it, Chase's stance makes a lot of sense.
Since he entered the league in 2021, two of the three biggest games of his career, in terms of stakes for that season, have come against the Chiefs. Of course, those two games were the AFC championship games at Arrowhead Stadium. The other was the Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams.
One of the biggest games of his career came late in his rookie season against the Chiefs, when he exploded for 11 catches on 12 targets for 266 yards and three touchdowns. He's since had some big matchups against Trent McDuffie, a former Chiefs cornerback who is now with the Rams. One of those matchups ended with Chase being penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after a play against McDuffie in 2024.
Now, Chase has also had some moments against the Steelers that show his disdain for Pittsburgh, and his choice to put the Chiefs above Pittsburgh doesn't mean he's downplaying the rivalry. Someone who spits on Jalen Ramsey's face mask and flips off Minkah Fitzpatrick during a game can't also be indifferent. And actually, Thursday's statement could have been Chase trying to anger the Steelers even further.
Needless to say, Cincinnati has a massive game against Pittsburgh on Sunday night with a chance to take sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Furthermore, things are trending toward the Dec. 13 game against the Chiefs being one of the bigger games on the NFL calendar this season.
Both games are set up to be very entertaining, especially for Ja'Marr Chase