Ja'Marr Chase likes Cincinnati because it has no distractions

Receiver Ja'Marr Chase has signed a five-year deal to remain with the Bengals. During Tuesday's press conference to announce the new contracts signed both by Chase and by teammate Tee Higgins, Chase was asked what it was about Cincinnati (other than the money) that made him choose to commit.

And Chase said in the most tactful and positive way positive that, basically, there's nothing to do.

"For me, I like Cincinnati because it gives me the opportunity to come here and focus," Chase said. "You know, I'm not distracted out here. It's not . . . too many things to get me off pace out out here, you know, and it's strictly what I'm focused on. And that's really tunnel vision for me to play football. So, I mean, at the end of the day, the food's not the best. We can work out that, but . . . . I'm from New Orleans, I'm not used to the food yet. But, you know, overall, I mean, honestly, I just think that's the biggest picture for me. Is that, you know, I don't have no distractions here. I can just play football."

He laughed when he said "the food's not the best." (It's not exactly a controversial take.) But the broader point is that Cincinnati is one of those cities (and there are more than a few) where there aren't the kinds of things that will keep a guy in his 20s from taking care of business.

Besides, it's a far cry from the comments former NFL running back Willis McGahee once made about Buffalo.

For Higgins, the answer was simpler. He's one of the few NFL players who has made a career with the team he followed as a youth.

"Man, I grew up a Bengals fan," Higgins said. "And to have the opportunity to sign a four-year deal with my favorite team that I grew up watching, that's a dream come true. . . . I couldn't be at a better place."

That makes the Higgins deal even more meaningful. Especially since it seemed that, not long ago, the Bengals were apparently willing to tag and trade him.