All-Pro Former Teammate Delivers Cold Truth About Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase
· Yahoo Sports
To many, Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase is the best wide receiver in the NFL.
Few in the NFL can challenge him for that title. But one player in particular has a stronger claim than most.
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That is Justin Jefferson, now of the Minnesota Vikings, but also Chase’s former teammate in college at LSU. Jefferson recently spoke candidly about how their friendship “transformed” once they were both in the league.
Jefferson called it a “love-hate relationship” in a conversation with Taylor Rooks for Boardroom.
“It has to be, just because of how competitive we are and how much this sport really means to us. We don’t ever like to be No. 2. I know no one ever likes to be No. 2. But to have two guys that’s on this similar level, superstars in the league, that has all of the talent in the world, that’s able to take a franchise to the next level, for us to be on that same team at LSU is pretty crazy to actually think about. But that kind of transformed into the league, us always competing against each other,” Jefferson said in the September 10 episode of the podcast.
“He’s on one side, I’m on the other side. We always competing for who’s going to get the most touchdowns, who’s going to get the most yards, and having that friendly battle, but also understanding how far to take it. We’re not overly stepping our boundaries, we’re not overly disrespecting one another, we’re not overly calling each other out. We respect one another’s game. But we both think we’re No. 1.”
Ja’Marr Chase & Justin Jefferson: By The Numbers
Getty ImagesJa’Marr Chase has some lofty numbers, including some that no one else has ever put up.Through his first 78 regular-season games in the NFL, Chase has 520 receptions, 6,837 yards, and 54 touchdowns with the Bengals. No other player has ever produced a similar or better line in the same span of their respective career, per Stathead.
There is a rub, though.
Only three players have more receiving yards through that same span: Lance Alworth, Julio Jones, and Jefferson.
The argument often goes beyond the two superstars, ensnaring their teammates, where Chase has, of course, had Joe Burrow for the duration of his career. Jefferson, who entered the NFL one year before Chase, has endured a bit more turnover, particularly in recent seasons.
QB Conundrum Looms Over Top WR Race
GettyJoe Burrow’s impact on Ja’Marr Chase cannot be ignored.Jefferson went from four-time Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins to one season with a first-time Pro Bowler in Sam Darnold in 2024 to cycling through several QBs in 2025.
This year, Jefferson will open the season with two-time Pro Bowler Kyler Murray.
Like Burrow, Murray is a former Heisman Trophy winner and a Pro Bowler at the quarterback position. There are other questions about his fit in Minnesota and his ceiling due to his physical stature at 5-foot-10.
Chase cannot be faulted for reuniting with Burrow, who went No. 1 in 2020, the same year Jefferson came off the board 22nd overall to Minnesota.
Chase does boast a triple-crown season, leading in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns.
The Bengals star also has one more Pro Bowl selection than his ex-Tigers running mate. While Chase was the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021, Jefferson was the Offensive Player of the Year in 2022. Both are two-time First Team All-Pro selections.
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