Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase will not be playing in the NFL playoffs this month.
However, that doesn’t mean Chase won’t be watching some elite level football. During a SportsCenter segment with teammate Tee Higgins on Wednesday, Chase was asked which teams would play in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
But instead of giving his two teams, Chase shared which franchise he doesn’t want to compete for the Lombardi Trophy.
“Anybody but the Chiefs,” Chase said during the segment.
The Bengals-Chiefs’ rivalry—both in the season and postseason—has become one of the most heated and popular clashes in the AFC in recent years. Cincinnati defeated Kansas City in overtime in the epic 2021 AFC championship game.
However, the Bengals lost to the Chiefs in the ’22 AFC title game. During the ’23 season, the Chiefs defeated the Bengals, 25–17, in Week 17. The ’23 campaign was a challenging one for the Bengals as the franchise dealt with interchanging quarterbacks throughout the season due to Joe Burrow’s wrist injury.
"Anybody but the Chiefs."
Ja'Marr Chase kept the rivalry alive when asked on SportsCenter who's going to the Super Bowl.
Tee Higgins also weighed in. #Bengals @fox19 @Real10jayy__ @teehiggins5 pic.twitter.com/OG9jYnDzJs
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) January 10, 2024
Despite Burrow’s absence and Cincinnati’s ups-and-downs of the season, the Bengals (9–8) registered a winning campaign after securing a 31–14 victory against the Cleveland Browns in Week 18, finishing just outside the playoff picture.