Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase? The GOAT Has Spoken.
In 2019, college football was dominated by the LSU squad, powered by an absurd passing attack that would destroy every defense, even at the professional level. Joe Burrow quarterbacked the Tigers and his targets? Well, none other than Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. The results were obviously a bunch of records and the national title.
Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase? The GOAT Has Spoken.
All three went on to have tremendous success in the NFL. Burrow and Chase have teamed up on the Cincinnati Bengals, and Jefferson became the face of the Minnesota Vikings. Jefferson has continued to shatter records and is the all-time leader for the most receiving yards in a player’s first two, three, four, and five seasons, having his eyes set on claiming the record for the first six seasons at some points next year.
He also ranks second in the league in receiving yards. But that’s where things are getting spicy, as Chase ranks first in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in the 2024 campaign. That’s why some folks claim he has overtaken his college teammate and should be titled the league’s best WR.
No one other than Tom Brady was asked which active NFL receiver he would want to play with.
Couple of tough choices out there. I know Ja’Marr Chase. What a year he’s having, but I’m saying it’s Justin Jefferson. He can do everything from any spot on the field. He goes deep, he goes short, catch the ball, catch and run, touchdowns, third down. He is a ridiculous player. He reminds me so much of my former teammate and Viking, Randy Moss. So, if it comes down to choosing only one, he would be the one right now.
It’s hard to argue with arguably the greatest to ever do it.
Chase has been excellent this season and in his entire career, but his numbers are inflated compared to Jefferson’s because the Bengals feature a poor defense and find themselves trailing and in shootouts almost weekly.
Through 13 games, Chase has a lead of 149 yards, but he’s also been targeted 20 more times and caught 18 more passes. Bengals QB Burrow is leading the league in pass attempts with 490 ‒ 102 more than Sam Darnold and his backup Nick Mullens combined. Jefferson has only been targeted at least ten times in a game once in 2024; Chase has logged six such games.
Chase is supported by the high-flying passing attack, but he still deserves credit. It is hard to remain this productive on a per-target basis if the usage is this high. Jefferson is ahead of him in Yards per Route Run and has gotten a higher PFF grade in the 2024 season.
One thing Chase has an edge on is the fact that he is scoring more touchdowns. He is likely the best homerun threat in the NFL, taking short passes to the house better than anyone else, resulting in 15 touchdowns compared to Jefferson’s seven.
Jefferson remains the all-time top player in receiving yards per game and is still in reach to catch Chase for the receiving title, although he will be hard to catch.
Anyone who was concerned about a potential Jefferson dropoff after he signed his record-breaking deal in the offseason can safely put those aside. He has continued to be a pro on and off the field, perhaps even becoming more of a leader as Minnesota’s top star.
His presence changes everything on the football field for his teammates, as seen in the last few weeks. Whenever the defense focuses on stopping him too much, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson can feast. But even the Falcons put extra resources in his area, and he scored a pair of touchdowns and had 132 yards.
Jefferson is 25 years old, and there’s not much left to prove. At first, the debate was between him and Davante Adams, then between him and Tyreek Hill, and now it’s between him and Chase. The fact that he is always the guy other receivers want to catch just proves his status as the NFL’s WR1.
His next matchup with the Chicago Bears could be a revenge game for him, as the Bears assigned multiple defenders to Jefferson on every play and gladly watched Hockenson and Addison beat them.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt