Chiefs news: Joe Burrow trash talk with KC ‘makes football fun’

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow says the trash talk leading up to the AFC title game was part of what “makes football fun.”

Last year, it was largely a lot of back and forth with and about Eli Apple. This year, the trash talk between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals escalated to such a point that terms like arrowheadaddict.com jabroni are part of the rivalry’s vocabulary. Yet even at its zenith, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow says not only is it “all good” between the players but it’s also good for the game.

Burrow spoke to Bengals reporters following the team’s 23-20 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship and was asked about the level of trash talk between the teams. His answer sheds light on a few things, including the fuel for what makes this such an exciting young rivalry.

"“I just think that’s what makes football fun. It’s all love at the end of the day. They know the respect that we have for them and we know the respect that they have for us. It’s an intense, emotional game and things like that are going to happen but I think that’s why the game is fun.”"

For Chiefs Kingdom, it’s been a few years since a team has really found a way to get under the skin. It’s hard to hate someone you’re simultaneously beating up on, which makes every rivalry in the AFC West pretty meaningless right now. Beyond that, it’s hard to find a team that really gives Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid a difficult time on a regular basis, but the Bengals wear those shoes well.

For those reasons, we’re inclined to agree with Burrow. The trash talk is good. The generation of real emotions and bitterness toward another side introduces a greater level of investment into how things turn out. It also brings in newer fans who find narrative hooks on which to hang their interest.

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