Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase used the debut episode of his new podcast, "Chasing No. 1" and "Overtime SZN," to look back on the moment his college quarterback earned the respect of an entire LSU locker room. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow joined Chase for the episode, alongside co-host and sports media personality Annie Agar.
When Burrow arrived at LSU as a graduate transfer from Ohio State in 2018, Chase did not know much about him. LSU head coach Ed Orgeron had been hyping up the new quarterback, but Chase had not watched much of Burrow's tape. Chase remembers one incident with LSU linebacker Mike Divinity as the point when Burrow finally pushed back, and the locker room took notice.
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"I tell you, Joe snapped that day. Ever since that day, everybody was like, 'Yo, we not messing with Joe ever again,'" Chase said on his podcast.
Burrow had his own reason for being ready to fight for his place. He had spent three seasons at Ohio State and was looking for a fresh start at LSU. The Tigers already had a strong defense, while the offense was still trying to find its identity. Burrow felt he needed to make his presence felt from the beginning.
Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase's connection runs deeper than their Bengals chemistry. Subscribe for more interesting stories.
"I just always felt like I had to prove myself, prove my toughness, prove everything about me. People just kept trying me… I was just like, forget it. I'm going to start cussing people out, doing whatever I got to do to set the tone for the season, for my career here," Burrow said.
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He became LSU's starting quarterback in 2018 and threw for 2,894 yards and 16 touchdowns. The following year was a completely different story. He took his game to another level and turned LSU into one of the best teams in the country. He passed for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns, and LSU went 15-0. He won the Heisman Trophy, and the Tigers ended the year as national champions.
Chase was a big part of that run. The wide receiver finished the 2019 season with 84 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns, SEC single-season records for both receiving yards and touchdown receptions. In the national championship win over Clemson, he added nine receptions for 221 yards and two touchdowns.
Their connection eventually followed them to Cincinnati. The Bengals selected Burrow first overall in 2020 and Chase with the No. 5 pick a year later. Since then, the pair has gone from college teammates to the centerpieces of Cincinnati's offense.
That history is still visible
heading into the 2026 season. Chase is now a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time first-team All-Pro, while Burrow remains Cincinnati's starting quarterback. The Bengals' current roster still lists both together at quarterback and wide receiver, respectively.
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Burrow also pointed out that he stayed relatively quiet in his early days at LSU for reasons beyond just adjusting to a new team. At 21 heading into his fourth college season, he was noticeably older than most of his new teammates, including an 18-year-old Chase, and he admitted he initially struggled to understand the thick Baton Rouge accents around the LSU program.
Burrow was the very first guest on Chase's new podcast and gave fans an informal, rare look at how the pair's on-field chemistry actually started. The mix of old LSU stories and playful ribbing on the episode shows how much their relationship has grown since their early days as teammates, when they often tested Burrow's patience in practice.
For Bengals fans, the anecdote offers another look at how a duo that has already made its mark in the franchise record books came together. It also shows that the toughness and competitive edge Burrow brings to Cincinnati on Sundays were developed long before he became a Bengal.
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The post "We Not Messing With Joe": Ja'Marr Chase Reveals the Day LSU Started Fearing Joe Burrow
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