Ja’Marr Chase Makes Bold Claim About Justin Jefferson Ahead of Vikings’ Season

Ja’Marr Chase didn’t hold back when asked about the NFL’s first potential 2,000-yard receiver. He thinks it’s going to happen sooner rather than later, with him and Minnesota Vikings’ star Justin Jefferson holding the best opportunity to seize the historic milestone.

“Me and Justin (Jefferson), of course,” Chase told CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin this week when asked about the most likely wideouts to finally eclipse 2,000 yards, (h/t Bobby Kownack of NFL.com).

The former LSU teammates have climbed to the top of the rankings at their position in just south of a half decade in their professional careers. Chase, now the highest-paid receiver in football, is coming off a monster season with the Cincinnati Bengals — racking up 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Justin Jefferson Has Already Come Close In His Vikings Career

Before missing time with hamstring injury in 2023, Jefferson was on pace for nearly 1,900 yards. His best season came in 2022, when he finished with 1,809 yards and won Offensive Player of the Year.

If the Vikings offense stays healthy this season — especially at quarterback — Jefferson could make another legitimate run at 2K. He’s been the heart of Minnesota’s passing attack since he became a late Round 1 steal in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he’s grown into a leadership role as J.J. McCarthy enters the picture.

The Vikings are firm in their belief that McCarthy will shine as the team’s QB1, despite a dearth of opportunity thus far in the NFL. Jefferson’s generational route-running ability alleviates a lot of the instant pressure, but it’ll be interesting to see what kind of rhythm they form early on.

2,000-Yard Club History

Cooper Kupp technically hit 2,191 receiving yards in his memorable 2021 season with the Los Angeles Rams — but that included playoffs. In terms of regular season numbers, Calvin Johnson still holds the top spot with 1,964 yards in 2012. Kupp maxed out at 1,947 in the regular season that same year he broke records in the postseason.

Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb and now Chase are right behind them on the all-time list.

Looking ahead at both Chase and Jefferson’s current situations, there’s a lot to like. However, Chase might have the quarterback edge. Joe Burrow is not only one of the best gunslingers in the game, but he and Chase already share the continuity that Jefferson has yet to develop with McCarthy.

Still, with both receivers coming in fully healthy, it’s difficult to pinpoint one thing that either playmaker does better than the other.