%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20id%3D%22Layer_1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20width%3D%2239px%22%20height%3D%2240px%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2039%2040%22%20enable-background%3D%22new%200%200%2039%2040%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23FFFFFF%22%20d%3D%22M38.5%2C7H28.2v26h10.3V7z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20fill-rule%3D%22evenodd%22%20clip-rule%3D%22evenodd%22%20fill%3D%22%23FFFFFF%22%20d%3D%22M26.1%2C25.5c0%2C5.8-4.1%2C7.5-12.9%2C7.5C3.9%2C33%2C0%2C31.2%2C0%2C25.2v-1.1h11.6%0A%09v2.4c0%2C0.7%2C0.1%2C1.4%2C1.2%2C1.4c1%2C0%2C1.2-0.4%2C1.2-1.3v-0.9c0-1.6-0.9-1.6-3.5-2.2C2.2%2C21.7%2C0%2C19.7%2C0%2C15.3v-0.9C0%2C9.3%2C5.5%2C7%2C12.9%2C7%0A%09c10.2%2C0%2C12.8%2C2.6%2C12.8%2C7.4v1.8h-11v-2.9c0-0.6-0.4-1.1-1.2-1.1c-0.6%2C0-1.2%2C0.4-1.2%2C1.1v0.9c0%2C1.5%2C0.9%2C2%2C3.3%2C2.5%0A%09c8%2C1.6%2C10.5%2C3.3%2C10.5%2C7.5V25.5z%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase Sends NFL Fans Into a Lather With Viral Cryptic Tweet
If you are an NFL wide receiver, this is the worst time of the year to send a cryptic tweet.
Free agency is open and dominating headlines as the rest of the sports world awaits basketball and hockey postseason tournaments to begin. The expectations of NFL fans are through the roof, and a simple emoji or cryptic sentence posted to social media can set off reckless speculation.
Into these conditions waded Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase on Tuesday afternoon.
“This will be a krazy story to tell,” Chase wrote on social media.
Did Bengals fans almost immediately begin floating wild theories as to what the three-time Pro Bowler meant by his tweet? Come on. Of course they did.
this will be a krazy story to tell
— Ja’MarrChase (@Real10jayy__) March 12, 2024
The man that immediately came to mind in the Queen City was Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, especially after quarterback Kirk Cousins departed for the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.
Could. You. Imagine. https://t.co/0wN8ybNQFQ pic.twitter.com/3FagAdFDNs
— Braxton Wheeler (@Braxxx26) March 12, 2024
Vikings fans, however, were quick to push back—pointing to Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins’ trade request.
The entire Bengals fanbase interpreting this as "the Bengals are trading for Justin Jefferson" after not being able to afford their own star WR is soooooo crazy 😭 https://t.co/mf1PwDBvbJ
— JV (@JVSwaps) March 12, 2024
Fans also were quick to point out the location of Super Bowl LIX: Louisiana, where quarterback Joe Burrow, Chase and Jefferson all played collegiately for LSU.
LSU boys reunite in Cincy and win the superbowl in NOLA pic.twitter.com/uKJp1pK0T9
— Elly De La Reigns (@whodeybaby9851) March 12, 2024
A few wondered whether Chase had been infected by the NFL’s most famous fan’s sense of mystery.
y’all have to stop with the cryptic tweets i already have to deal with taylor swift and her easter eggs https://t.co/GZUZdclaEV
— kate (@treaherous) March 12, 2024
Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .