Cincinnati Bengals safety Jordan Battle has drawn criticism from fans for revealing a perceived tendency in Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis' throwing motion ahead of their upcoming game. Battle, speaking to reporters on Thursday, detailed a "slight little tap" before each throw that the Bengals believe can be used to anticipate the snap.
"He has a little slight little tap before every throw though, so I feel like we could use that as a key to break on the ball. He likes to tap the ball before he throws it, or he takes his hand off, and that that gives the read the break," Battle said.
The comments were met with disapproval on social media platforms, with some fans questioning why such information would be shared publicly with the media. One user on X (formerly Twitter) posted, "Why the f—k would you say this to the media." Another wrote, "Why would you reveal this."
Despite the fan backlash, Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley acknowledged the information, though he downplayed its significance, noting that many quarterbacks have a similar timing and rhythm in their throwing motion. "It’s a timing and rhythm thing with a lot of guys, and there’s a lot of them that do that, but any opponent that wants to share our tendencies with us, we’ll take any time," Hafley stated Friday.
Battle is in his fourth NFL season with the Bengals, having been selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He has recorded one interception and 25 tackles this season. The Bengals, who started the season 2-0 but have since lost two consecutive games, are set to play the Dolphins on Sunday.