It’s January 30, 2022. The Cincinnati Bengals, down 21-3 at halftime, pull off a stunning comeback to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 in overtime, punching their ticket to the Super Bowl. Fast forward to July 2024, and Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase can’t even bring himself to say Patrick Mahomes‘ name. Nick Wright dissected this shift in the momentum and possible reasons for the same.

“What happened to this Jamar Chase energy?” Nick Wright pondered on “First Things First” today, diving into Chase’s verbal gymnastics. He recalled Chase’s previous bold claims, including his assertion that Joe Burrow was the NFL’s best quarterback. But now, Chase is playing verbal dodgeball with Mahomes’ name. When asked about the league’s top-ranked player in an NFL social media clip, Chase said, “I’m not saying his name, brother. I’m sorry. Joe Burrow — I’m not saying that guy’s name.”

Wright didn’t stop there. He dug deeper, questioning Chase’s sudden change of heart. “You can’t even lie to the camera and say Joe Burrow is better. So you can’t do that and you can’t say just Patrick Mahomes’s name,” Wright mused.

But here’s the kicker: Chase admitted to being “salty” about the situation. “He’s good. He’s amazing,” Chase conceded, before adding, “Not gonna lie, I’m salty, though. I’m a little salty. Two years in a row — I’m putting Burrow first.” It’s like Chase is trying to sprinkle salt on Mahomes’ game, but ending up with a bad taste in his mouth.

This verbal tug-of-war adds another chapter to the already epic Bengals-Chiefs saga. Remember that 2022 AFC Championship game? Burrow’s ice-cool attitude and a second-half comeback of 18 points helped the Bengals to win the game. Burrow completed a 41-yard touchdown pass to Samaje Perine, then found Ja’Marr Chase for a critical two-point conversion.

The Chiefs could have won in regulation but Mahomes was sacked by Bengal’s defensive end Sam Hubbard leading to overtime. Vonn Bell then intercepted Mahomes during that time, setting up Evan McPherson’s game-winning field goal. The Chiefs on their side had their revenge in 2023. But it was another close encounter when they just managed to beat the Cincinnati Bengals with only three points separating them (23-20).

This was after Mahomes led his side into scoring range with less than a minute left despite struggling with an injury on his ankle like a true warrior; it resembled watching two heavyweight boxers delivering punches at each other without any intention of backing off.

Burrow vs. Patrick Mahomes: A statistical slugfest

However, although Chase is full Team Burrow, numbers indicate as much as a photo finish when it comes to rating them head-to-head. In terms of these matches against each other including post-season concerned, several key stats are slightly better for Burrow than they are for Mahomes though he has a higher completion percentage (69.8% vs. 67.4%), more passing yards per game (313 vs.270.8), and superior passer rating (107 vs..102.3) respectively.

It’s worth mentioning that even before this season Joe Burrow had more wins against Patrick Mahomes than any other quarterback who played versus him at least four times but not more than five – It’s like he’s cracked the Mahomes code, and Chase is guarding that secret with his life.

However, something intriguing happens here. There is a contract surprise in his future. Unlike most NFL teams, the Bengals usually do not give out guaranteed money to non-quarterbacks for any year beyond the first one of the agreement.

This unique approach could impact Chase’s future with the team. Just look at the recent deal signed by Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson – a whopping four years, $140 million with $110 million guaranteed. That’s not just raising the bar; it’s launching it into orbit.

Meanwhile, Mahomes isn’t exactly losing sleep over Chase’s name game. He’s busy admiring other quarterbacks. “I like watching Josh [Allen] a lot,” Mahomes said on FS1’s “First Things First” back in May. “We play a lot of similar opponents. He plays a similar style of football that I do.” He also mentioned C.J. Stroud and, interestingly, Joe Burrow. Looks like Mahomes is playing nice while Chase plays hard to get.

But don’t think Burrow’s sitting this one out. He’s got his eyes on the prize, and that prize looks a lot like Mahomes’ success. “They’re the gold standard right now,” Burrow told ESPN back in March. “They’ve been to what, six straight AFC championships and four of the last [five] Super Bowls? So that’s where we want to be.”

The plot thickens when you consider Burrow’s bold declaration that the Bengals are “built to beat” the Chiefs. “I think we match up pretty well with them,” Burrow stated in April. “I feel really good about that matchup for our team. We just have to put ourselves in that position next year to have that opportunity at the end to go and win it.” It’s like he’s laying down a challenge at Chase while he is trying to act like nothing of that kind exists.

And of course, we can’t forget pundits’ opinions. Skip Bayless and Stephen A Smith see the Bengals as being best placed to halt the Chiefs’ power. Smith even wondered in February, When Joe Burrow is healthy, who can he not beat?”  Like everyone else interested in football has grabbed a big bowl of popcorn and sat down to watch this drama.

One thing is certain; whether on the field across the negotiating table or in front of a microphone, this Chase-Burrow-Mahomes saga will surely become more dramatic.