Getty Image
Chad Johnson is one of the most entertaining wide receivers in NFL history thanks in no small part to the celebrations he routinely busted out after scoring a touchdown. Now, he’s given Ja’Marr Chase some incentive to follow in his footsteps by offering to pay for any fine that may be incurred by recreating one of his most memorable.
The Cincinnati Bengals used the 36th pick in the 2001 NFL Draft to scoop up Chad Johnson, which turned out to be a very good decision.
The man known as “Ochocinco” spent 10 seasons with the Bengals and currently holds the record for the most receiving yards (10,783) and passing touchdowns (66) in the history of the franchise.
The wideout had dozens of opportunities to show off his creative side after hauling in a TD, and his lengthy list of celebrations included giving the football CPR, proposing to a cheerleader, and harnessing a pylon and a football to do his best Tiger Woods impression.
There was also the time he commandeered a television camera for a few seconds after scoring, and it appears he’d love to see Ja’Marr Chase follow in his footsteps.
On Thursday, Chase spoke with reporters and issued a message to Johnson by pledging to recreate the camera celebration if Johnson agreed to cover any fine the NFL might hit him with as a result.
Ja’Marr Chase has a message for @ochocinco
Ja’Marr Chase says he will grab a TV camera after a touchdown like Ochocinco did if Chad agrees to pick up the fine pic.twitter.com/a4wmfXmShq
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) November 2, 2023
If you’ve kept tabs on Johnson over the past few years, you likely know he’s never shy about throwing his money behind a worthy cause, and he wasted no time promising to do exactly that if Chase followed through with a response that read “Say less I’ll pay the fine.”
At the end of the day, he might not have to actually fork over any cash, as the league declined to hit Tyreek Hill with any monetary punishment when he paid tribute to Johnson by pulling the same move in 2018.