It didn't take long for the Bengals to address Justin Reid's recent trash talk of Cincinnati's skill players. Ja'Marr Chase, the Bengals' Pro Bowl wideout, taunted Reid that led to a penalty.
The penalty came after Tee Higgins -- one of the targets of Reid's trash talk -- stretched the Bengals' lead to 14-3 after catching a short touchdown pass early in the second quarter. Reid jokingly forgot the names of Higgins and Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst in the days leading up to the game.
"They have 88 -- Higbee. No, it's not. Higbee was with the Rams," Reid said to reporters. "What's his name? Higgins. It is Higgins. Higbee and Higgins. They are going to have him back. He's a very talented receiver. More of a finesse type of guy. Not the best blocker. I'm going to lock him down. Straight up."
Reid's comments likely inspired Chase's taunting penalty that included Chase throwing fake money in Reid's direction.
Ja'Marr Chase pretending to throw money on the Chiefs defensepic.twitter.com/4qJfwahPEJ
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 4, 2022
After making his initial comments Reid essentially doubled down when Chase messaged him via Twitter. Hurst, who is enjoying a breakout first season in Cincinnati, one one of the Bengals who took offense to Reid's comments.
"He could pick anybody in this locker room, but I feel like I'm the last person you probably want to talk shit about," Hurst said ahead of Sunday's game. "I have a long memory."
Unfortunately for Hurst, his revenge will have to wait another day as the tight end was ruled out after injuring his right calf.
The back and fourth clearly led to bad feelings that bled into Sunday's game. The trash talk, along with the recent history involving the two teams, has made this one of the NFL's budding rivalries. And with both teams fielding young quarterbacks in Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes, the Bengals-Chiefs rivalry is one that should be here for a while.
