Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase wanted to call the Browns the 'Elfs' because of their midfield logo
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is tired of hearing about the Cleveland Elfs ... err, Browns. That's what he almost called the Bengals' Week 1 opponent when asked about the game.
"It's a regular game to me," Chase said Thursday. "It don't feel no different. It's the hooting and hollering about the Cleveland, um, Browns. I was about to call them the 'Elfs.' ... If you ask me, I don’t really pay attention to it because Cleveland is Cleveland.”
Chase is of course referring to the Browns' strange midfield image of an angry-looking elf — a logo the team unveiled in 2022, which was a throwback to an older logo from the 1960s. The Bengals' wideout added that the elf is "funny" and "different."
"It's a regular game to me."
"It's just the hooping and hollering about the Cleveland Browns. I was about to call them the elf's (elves)."
Ja'Marr Chase doesn't want to hear about the #Bengals recent struggles against the Browns. @fox19 pic.twitter.com/adiQ20Y6iO— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) September 7, 2023
The Bengals are 1-3 against the Browns since Chase joined the team as the No. 5 overall pick in 2021 and 1-5 since quarterback Joe Burrow was drafted in 2020. But Chase has enjoyed personal statistical success in his three career games against Cleveland: 18 receptions for 194 yards and one touchdown.
Regardless of the history between the two AFC North rivals, this Week 1 matchup will be a tone-setter for both teams. The Bengals are focused on a return to the Super Bowl two seasons after their improbable rise and they just gave Burrow an NFL-record $275 million contract. The Browns, meanwhile, hope to see some positive return on their $230 million investment in quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Chase doesn't appear too worried about the opponent, but he does seem to have his mind on the logo at midfield.
