On Wednesday, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf was complimenting Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase when he concluded his statement by saying, “It will be fun to watch Sunday, but I think Spoon will get the best of him,” referring to rookie teammate Devon Witherspoon.
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What did Ja’Marr Chase Think About DK Metcalf’s Comments?
Chase heard it, but he said he didn’t want to engage in back-and-forth trash talk.
“He ain’t doin’ nothing but praising his teammate,” Chase said of Metcalf. “That’s what he’s supposed to do. At the end of the day, it’s about game-time reps and game-time decisions. [Witherspoon] is goin’ to get the opportunity to get his matchups and just see who wins that matchup.”
But even when he’s not trying, he still has a way of needling the opponent.
Asked about the difference between Witherspoon and teammate Tariq Woolen, Chase offered this assessment of the cornerbacks:
“One shorter, one’s taller, one’s more handsy, one is not as more handsy,” Chase said. “They both play different roles in it. One is super fast, one’s just smooth. But you know, they’re both decent corners. They’re not horrible.”
MORE: Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart
Chase said he didn’t have a problem with Metcalf’s comments because it wasn’t coming directly from Witherspoon.
“That’s why I didn’t say anything. Until he say something, I’ll say something,” Chase said. “But it’s DK. I’m not checking DK. DK’s not checking me. He’s just saying what he wants to say at the end of the day.”
Chase was the No. 5 pick in the 2021 draft. Witherspoon was the No. 5 pick this year. But Chase said there’s no competition when it comes to that.
“I don’t think like that. If you in front of me, I’ve got to kill you. That’s how it is. It’s like I’m gettin’ killed or you gettin’ killed. So I don’t want to look crazy. If he was undrafted, he’d still have to be next.”
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But Chase also made it clear he’s not about to tone down his trash-talking.
“I love it. It’s sports. I expect people to talk trash to me,” he said. “If you don’t talk trash, you don’t like football. I’m usually the one talking first, so I don’t think they have time to talk about.”
That started the following exchange with reporters:
Q: Is there a line you can’t cross?
A: There is no line in trash-talking.
Q: None?
A: No. There’s no rules to it. That’s why it’s called trash-talking.
Q: Who do you look forward to trash-talking the most?
A: I don’t care. I really give zero Fs.
Q: Is there a different level of meaning or respect when trash talk comes through media as opposed to face-to-face on the field?
A: Nah. They just spicin’ up the game. Like what I said against Cleveland, just spicin’ up the game a little bit and makin’ us have more energy comin’ into the game. That’s all it is.
It was a banner day for Chase sound bytes. Even though he said he wasn’t trying to trash talk to the Seahawks, others, such as the Arizona Cardinals, caught drive-by shrapnel when Chase was asked about not having a letdown against the Seahawks after catching a franchise-record 15 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday.
“This is one of the best defenses we’ve faced in the first five games, so I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as it was for us as it was in Arizona.”
Later, Chase was asked about confidence and if a 15-catch game helps.
“It helps, yeah. It helps the defense double your a**.”
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase on whether having a big game helps with confidence: "It helps, yeah…. It helps the defense double your ass." pic.twitter.com/lR01zgPPNi
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) October 12, 2023
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