Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was forced to play a bit of defense in Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, holding back teammate Ja’Marr Chase when he grew incensed after a no-call in the fourth quarter.
Chase grew angry after he made a catch and was taken down on what he thought should have been flagged for a hip-drop tackle. Chase immediately protested to the referee and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when he continued to argue.
Burrow tried to diffuse the situation by shoving Chase back. The Bengals quarterback told reporters afterward that he was trying to keep his teammate in check.
“I’m not really sure, I was just trying to de-escalate the situation,” Burrow told reporters after the game.
When asked why Chase grew so angry, Burrow said there had been some words exchanged but he didn’t know all of the details.
“There was something said that I’m not exactly sure what it was. You’ll have to ask him,” he said.
Referee Alex Kemp shed more light on the incident after the game, saying Chase was flagged after crossing the line in his protest to referees.