Minus undergoing an appendectomy a couple of weeks ago, Joe Burrow has had it good when it comes to firing footballs at talented wide receivers. Two of the studs he played with in college are now two of the best receivers in the NFL, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings and Burrow’s teammate with the Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase.
Asked by former NFL receiver Brandon Marshall who is better between him and Jefferson, Chase went with himself. But he then left himself out of his top-five WR ranking and put Jefferson at No. 5 behind Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen and Davante Adams.
But the best part of the moment captured on video is when Marshall presses Chase about Jefferson and who’s better. It went like this:
Marshall: “Is Justin really better than you? Like for real though, c’mon. No cameras on.”
Chase: “I don’t think so.”
Marshall: “For real?
Chase: “You think he is? I don’t think so.”
Marshall then looks across the table hoping Burrow can break the tie. Burrow smiles and looks away, with the rest of the group bursting in laughter.
Ja’marr too humble 🥹
1️⃣ @taeadams
2️⃣ @keenan13allen
3️⃣ @stefondiggs
4️⃣ @cooperKupp
5️⃣ @jjettas2 pic.twitter.com/vush5spibA— I AM ATHLETE (@IAMATHLETEpod) August 8, 2022
Jefferson owns the NFL record for most receiving yards after two years in the league, while Chase put up gaudy numbers as rookie in 2021-22. Here’s how they stacked up against each other last season.
- Jefferson: 108 catches, 1,616 yards, 10 touchdowns
- Chase: 81 catches, 1,455 yards, 13 touchdowns
Chase was electric after the catch with 651 yards compared to 482 yards after the catch by Jefferson. But 75 of Jefferson’s 108 receptions resulted in a first down, compared to 56 of 81 resulting in a first down for Chase. Do that math and that’s a tie, with both players turning 69% of their catches into a fresh set of downs.
