Ja’Marr Chase needed only a shrug and five words to answer a question about Travis Hunter.
During Thursday’s session with reporters, the Cincinnati Bengals receiver was asked what growth he has seen from Hunter between Year 1 and Year 2. Chase paused, shook his head and shrugged, then delivered the viral verdict.
Hunter was considerably warmer when the roles were reversed. Asked about Chase, the Jacksonville defender said the Bengals star “can do everything.”
One player declined to grade a direct opponent. The other offered a compliment before they meet Sunday at Paycor Stadium.
Both teams enter at 2-1. Jacksonville is coming off a 35-6 win over New England, while Cincinnati is looking to rebound from a 30-27 loss to Pittsburgh. Chase has 18 catches for 185 yards and three touchdowns, including 98 yards and a score against the Steelers after a 12-yard Week 1.
History sits with the former Triple Crown winner. In a 2025 Week 2 win at Jacksonville, he caught 14 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown in a 31-27 victory, even after Joe Burrow left with a toe injury. Hunter, the No. 2 pick that spring, played in the game before a knee injury limited his rookie year to seven appearances.
Used mostly at cornerback in 2026, Hunter recorded his first career interception in the Patriots win. Sunday will test whether that progress shows up against a receiver who has already declined to acknowledge it.
