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Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst responds to viral comments by Chiefs’ Justin Reid

Earlier this week, the Chiefs’ game against the Bengals was seen as one of the biggest on the Week 13 schedule, because it was an AFC Championship Game rematch and both teams have Super Bowl aspirations.

Then Chiefs safety Justin Reid talked with Fox 4 reporter PJ Green on Wednesday and interest ratcheted up even more. Reid was asked about the Bengals, who beat the Chiefs twice last season.

“Some of the missed tackles, explosive plays, a lot of it’s going to come down to making a play on the ball,” Reid said. “They have No. 88 Higbee. No, it’s not Higbee, he’s with the Rams ... what’s his name? Higgins, it is Higgins, They are going to have him back, he’s a very talented receiver, more of a finesse type of guy. Not the best blocker, I’m going to lock him down, straight up.”

That video went viral, although Reid later tweeted that he was actually talking about Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst. “Nonetheless, any and everybody still getting locked up,” Reid wrote on Twitter.

That caught the interest of Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who responded to Reid.

Reid and Chase tweeted at one another again in this exchange.

Hurst spoke with reporters on Thursday and said he initially laughed at Reid’s comments. But he wasn’t in a jovial mood when answering questions about what Reid said.

“Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. He can say whatever he really wants to say about me and I really don’t give a (care),” Hurst said. “I am who I am, and Sunday at 4:30 (Eastern) is going to be pretty fun.”

Hurst added: “I understand what the point of the interview was. Again, it doesn’t really faze me. You can say whatever you want about me. I’ve been called way worse.”

Hurst added he has a long memory.

“That’s definitely the first guy who is going to attempt to cover me that has said something about me or to me, or I guess whoever he thought he was talking about,” Hurst said. “I really don’t care.”

The comments from both locker rooms have shed a light on the intensity of the Chiefs-Bengals rivalry, says the NFL Network’s Peter Schrager.

“The bottom line is this: these teams don’t like each other,” Schrager said Thursday on “Good Morning Football.” “The Chiefs are well aware that the Bengals think they’ve got their number, and the Bengals are coming into this game at home in a late-afternoon window feeling pretty confident that they’ve got their number. I can’t wait for this ...

“These teams don’t like each other, they don’t respect each other. I’m here for it. Chiefs looking to get revenge. Bengals, of course, looking to get their third straight win over Patrick Mahomes.”