Sep 11, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) reacts after completing a catch during the second quarter of a Week 1 NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers are heated AFC North division rivals and Sunday afternoon’s game turned it up a notch with gutting injuries, some apparent cheap shots, and an absolutely wild ending. It was a crazy game, and a recently-surfaced photo of Ja’Marr Chase and Minkah Fitzpatrick even added a little fuel to the rivalry.

In a photo taken by Cincinnati Bengals team photographer Emilee Chinn and shared by Pro Football Focus on Twitter, Chase can be seen flicking off the Steelers defensive back, waving two middle fingers at him as Fitzpatrick looks at the Bengals receiver over his shoulder.

Naturally, the photo went completely viral and caused quite a stir in the NFL world with plenty of people offering their reactions. Our own Michael Grant even dubbed it a “sports photo of the year candidate.”

Ultimately, Fitzpatrick got the final laugh as the Steelers won the game 23-20 thanks to an overtime field goal. However, Chase had a strong individual performance for the Bengals, catching 10 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown.

But regardless of the outcome, the photo is absolutely incredible and it will likely serve as an iconic image of this intense rivalry for many years to come.

[Pro Football Focus]

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