PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers versus Cincinnati Bengals rivalry is never one to miss. And even after retirement, former foes are getting after it, having some fun on social media and showing they still have plenty of trash talk left in them after football.
Joking on X (formerly known at Twitter), former Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson said he FaceTimed all the defensive backs he played. The only one who didn't answer was former Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor.
"I’m FaceTiming all the DB’s i played against, first person i called was @Ike_SwagginU & he ignored me 💔," Johnson wrote.
Taylor came back strong, saying he doesn't have Johnson's number on his phone. He then proceeded to remind him that while he didn't lock in his number, he did lock him down when they were playing.
I ain’t have your number locked in…
— IKE TAYLOR (@Ike_SwagginU) July 21, 2024
But I did lock 🔐 you up twice ah year… https://t.co/SHSk3NSk2a
Taylor and Johnson are never short on good replies, and the two remain some of the best trash talkers the NFL has seen. Even when they're not on the field, they're giving fans a reason to get fired up - and with training camp starting this week - this is exactly what everyone needed.
Johnson played 20 games against the Steelers during his career, recording 87 catches for 1,198 yards and three touchdowns. Taylor went 16-6 when on the field against the Bengals, recording two interceptions and 64 tackles.
Hopefully this talk continues into the season. With both former stars being podcast hosts, it would also be a good show for fans if the two of them linked up to talk some football on the cameras.
In the meantime, this little back and forth should do enough to carry everyone into training camp. And with Pittsburgh taking the field at Saint Vincent College, plenty of trash talk will be had for the next several months.
