Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is nothing if not an entertaining interview.
The trick is navigating the funny stuff meant to mess with onlookers (like the Cleveland “elves” thing) and the brutal honesty.
This week is a whole lot of brutal honesty, especially when it comes to the playing fate of Joe Burrow on Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams.
Point blank, Chase doesn’t think Burrow will suit up.
“If I had to guess, I would say ‘no,’” Chase said during an interview with CLNS Media’s Mike Petraglia. “I’ve been tellin’ him ‘no.’ My answer never changed. I told him back then, ‘don’t play until you 100 percent ready to play.’ So I don’t know what he’s doin’.”
The star wideout went as far as confirming what most fans seem to know now by agreeing that he didn’t think Burrow had been playing at 100 percent over the first two weeks.
Chase also revealed that, coming off the heels of his head-turning comments that got a response from offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, that he had a sitdown with Callahan about the offense.
“We just went back to the basics, just making sure we get our playmakers the ball in space,” Chase said. “We’re going to take our shots.”
“I respect Cali for that. Understanding my mind and where I want to be at,” Chase said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “That’s just me pushing myself to be a better person than I already am. Cali is lifting me from being hard on myself (the way I was) my rookie year. Cali is just letting me know to let the game come to me. Keep playing my game and they always try to find a way to get me the ball.”
Zac Taylor had previously admitted the playbook was dialed back over the first two weeks in an effort to prevent a re-injury to Burrow, so it will be interesting to see what the offense looks like regardless of who lines up under center on Monday.
More pressing, though, is whether Burrow suits up at all, especially after that viral cart ride he took with Mike Brown. Either way, it’s always nice to see Chase just let it fly in an interview rather than the sugar-coated stuff fans usually get from coaches and players.
The full interview:
Asked Ja'Marr Chase if he had to guess if Joe Burrow plays Monday. Chase was his usual honest and forthcoming self Friday. pic.twitter.com/6rh96QLr94
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 22, 2023
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