The Cincinnati Bengals fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday in a close, 22-17 game. One of the major storylines was Bengals’ All-Pro WR Ja’Marr Chase leaving the game in the second quarter with a concussion. After the game, two former Jaguars players are catching heat for some pretty tone-deaf comments.
Former Jaguars linebacker Tom McManus celebrated the hit on social media, calling it “mission accomplished.” Jaguars legend Jimmy Smith also joined the conversation.
Former Jaguars Sound Off on Ja’Marr Chase Injury
On Monday morning, McManus posted on X, “Great job on Chase. You don’t want to ruin his career. Just want to ruin his day. Mission accomplished.”
Jaguars franchise icon Jimmy Smith replied to McManus, saying, “We beat him up.”
McManus was a former linebacker for the expansion-era Jaguars. He played football at Boston College under Tom Coughlin before reuniting with him in Jacksonville.
Smith is arguably one of the best Jaguars players ever. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions (862), receiving yards (12,287), and receiving TDs (67). He is also a member of the team’s Pride of the Jaguars.
It’s one thing to celebrate your team after a victory, but to celebrate an injury, especially something like a concussion, is pretty out of touch. Especially for a legend like Jimmy Smith, who played the same position as Chase and likely knows what it’s like to be the center of attention for a defense.
Ja’Marr Chase Remains in Concussion Protocol
In the second quarter of the game, Burrow threw a short pass to Chase, who was grabbed by the facemask by cornerback Jarrian Jones. On his way to the turf, linebacker Ventrell Miller flew in for an additional hit. Jones was penalized for the facemask, but Miller was not given an additional personal foul during the game.
This play is already under some scrutiny, with calls for fines and/or additional discipline for Miller and Jones. Regardless of how the NFL handles the play, it didn’t look to be the “cleanest” football play for McManus and Smith to be celebrating.
Chase was taken into the blue medical tent before ultimately heading into the locker room. He did not return to the game. On Monday, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said that Chase remained in concussion protocol and his status for their upcoming game in Miami is uncertain.
Chase wasn’t the only Bengals receiver banged up in this game, as Tee Higgins also left the game in the fourth quarter with an adductor injury. Taylor relayed that he is day-to-day and his status for the Bengals’ next game will be worth monitoring throughout the week.
Overall, there really is no room for these kinds of comments. Celebrating your team on a hard-fought victory is perfectly reasonable, but celebrating another person’s injury is a pretty gross act. The Bengals and Chase will look to move past this loss and maybe use these comments for motivation going forward.
Next up for the Bengals is a road matchup with the Miami Dolphins, where the team will look to put an end to their two-game losing streak.
Ex-Jaguars Make Brutal Comments After Ja’Marr Chase Injury