Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce sent a warning to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase — don't disrespect Patrick Mahomes.
Regarding NFL rivalries, the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Cincinnati Bengals are quickly skyrocketing in the rankings. They are two of the top teams in the AFC and have had to go through one another to reach the Super Bowl in each of the past two years. Let's not forget the Bengals calling Arrowhead Stadium, "Burrowhead," and Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval throwing shade at the Chiefs ahead of the AFC Championship Game last year, only to get roasted by Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after the contest.
But this past week, things haven't cooled off between both sides. Let's just say, fuel was added to the fire.
Joe Burrow was asked this past week who he thought was the best quarterback in the NFL, to which he replied Patrick Mahomes. Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase was asked that same question, and he replied with Burrow. When reporters mentioned that Burrow said Mahomes was the best player in the NFL, Chase replied, "Pat who?" That then lead to a response from Mahomes, who posted a photo of himself receiving his Super Bowl 57 ring on Twitter, with a caption reading, "That's who."
During the latest episode of the "New Heights Podcast," Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce spoke about Chase's shot toward Mahomes and sent a warning — don't disrespect his quarterback.
Travis Kelce tells Ja'Marr Chase not to disrespect Patrick Mahomes
"It is what it is, dog," Kelce said, h/t Pro Football Talk. "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***, talk your s***, pimp. Just better back it up."
As Kelce said, he understands that Chase was backing up Burrow. But, he didn't like the slight at Mahomes, who has two Super Bowl titles, two NFL MVPs, and two Super Bowl MVPs in his five years as the starting quarterback for the Chiefs.
In the 2021 season, the Bengals pulled off what was considered an upset win over the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, where they won 27-24 in overtime after Mahomes threw an interception to set up a game-winning field goal by Evan McPherson. This past season, the Chiefs got their revenge in the Conference Championship Game with a 23-20 win at the buzzer after a game-winning field goal by Harrison Butker, set up by the Chiefs getting an extra 15-yards and a first down after Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai tackled Mahomes well out of bounds.
These two teams will meet up this season but in Week 17. So there could be some heavy stakes in this game, potentially regarding playoff seeding. As has the previous Chiefs vs. Bengals games in recent years, the upcoming matchup will be a must-watch.