Costly Ja’Marr Chase penalty felt like extension frustrations boiling over

The Cincinnati Bengals lost 26-25 to their nemesis Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, a heartbreaking defeat after what looked like it was going to be another win at "Burrowhead" Stadium.

Late in the fourth quarter, Cincinnati receiver Ja'Marr Chase caught a ball on second down from quarterback Joe Burrow to give his team a better shot at third and short. But the 24-year-old felt he had been fouled in the process of the tackle and immediately signaled to the ref for a flag.

None came and that's when Chase erupted on the nearest official, prompting an unsportsmanlike penalty to called on him instead. That backed up Cincinnati 15 yards and made a third down conversion all but impossible, down one point.

Did Chase's frustrations over no contract extension get the best of him?

On Saturday, it was reported that Chase would not negotiate with Cincinnati anymore this season over a long-sought after contract extension. The message from the three-time Pro Bowler was clear: 'I'm angry.'

Some would naturally think that anger would translate into better play on the field. A spiteful performance to show that if Cincinnati won't pay up, it'll regret it when he balls out for another team.

However, Bengals fans may have seen some of that frustration appear on the field in an undesirable form.

It's quite common for any player to show disdain for an official's call or non-call but when you take a look at Chase in the replay of the confrontation, even Burrow had difficulty restraining his top receiver's rage.

To be fair, Chase seemed to have a case about the tackle being over-the-top. It's unclear if it was a facemask call he felt was missed or if the defender used some form of a hip-drop tackle, which is illegal now.

Nevertheless, in a situation like that (even if the pent-up anger wasn't contract-related) Chase has to remember where he is in that moment and put the team first.