"I told him don’t scare me like that again" - Ja'Marr Chase urges Joe Burrow to slide more to avoid injuries
Last season, quarterback Joe Burrow was off to a great start in his rookie season when he went down with a significant knee injury, tearing his ACL. Burrow recovered by rehabilitating his knee and started the 2021 NFL season healthy and ready to compete.
He and his young Cincinnati Bengals team are making a statement in the AFC north and the NFL that they are no longer staying at the bottom of the league standings. Burrow's injury last season apparently didn't keep him from sacrificing his body to help the Bengals win football games.
But just because Burrow doesn't seem frightened doesn't mean his teammates and fan base aren't.
Ja'Marr Chase tells Joe Burrow to slide more to avoid injuries
In the Cincinnati Bengals' 25-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Burrow was actually taken to the team's sideline medical tent for evaluation. When he left the tent and took the field again, he threw a touchdown to Ja'Marr Chase, which led many to believe that he was fine.
Joe Burrow is back on the field after taking this brutal hit 😳 @brgridiron https://t.co/IrYplqP25o
After the game, Burrow was taken to a local hospital for evaluation after suffering a possible throat contusion on one of the hardest hits he took. Burrow apparently was having trouble speaking and lost his voice, which caused the Bengals medical team to be concerned enough to send him for further testing to ensure that it wasn't anything serious.
Burrow became a legend for his toughness during his time in college with the LSU Tigers. But fans and teammates alike, including rookie wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, may feel differently when watching their franchise quarterback take massive hits.
BURROW TO CHASE. 70-YARD TOUCHDOWN. #RuleTheJungle
📺: #GBvsCIN on FOX
📱: NFL app https://t.co/7c8dyyqQJx
After the game, Chase told the media how he felt about his quarterback taking those hits. Chase said:
“He did it late in the game, right? Yeah, he knows how to slide. He’s just hard headed,” Chase said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I told him don’t scare me like that again. I told him, ‘Slide. You need to start sliding.'”
Chase is right, and the Bengals fan base will most likely agree with him. Joe Burrow is mobile and can make plays happen, but sliding and avoiding contact or head-first collisions will help to ensure he has a longer career.
Joe Burrow is the franchise quarterback for the Bengals. He has gotten off to a hot start and he and Ja'Marr Chase are an incomparable duo in the NFL right now.
Their chemistry at LSU has transferred over to the NFL, making Chase his favorite and most reliable target. Here's hoping that Burrow learns a valuable lesson from his star rookie receiver.