One of the most interesting storylines in the current NFL is the relationship between the top two players on the receiving yardage leaderboard. Cincinatti Bengals star Ja'Marr Chase sits atop the list with 981 yards, followed by Minnesota Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson with 831. It's worth noting that they're closer than those numbers might imply, as the placement of their respective teams' bye weeks mean that Chase has played one more game than Jefferson has this season.
The interesting wrinkle is that Chase and Jefferson were college teammates at LSU. To add to this fascinating phenomenon, NFL passing yards leader, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, is not only Chase's current teammate, but he was the one throwing passes to Chase and Jefferson in college.
While there's been no end to the debate of whether Burrow has facilitated Chase's success more than the other way around, Jefferson has certainly stood on his own, producing in tandem with many quarterbacks, and all three are veritable NFL stars. As past and current teammates, Burrow and Chase naturally have a very close relationship, but how about Jefferson?
After Chase indicated that the two star wideouts don't really speak during the season, Jefferson needed to explain his side of the story. Chase sarcastically quipped that Jefferson is "too big time" for his old college pal, and while Jefferson laughed that notion off, stating that they'll always be close, he did agree that they speak much less during the season. Jefferson expressed that he's in "competitive mode" during the season, focusing on helping the Vikings win games above all else.
Whatever his approach may be, it's working so far, as the Vikings are a surprising playoff contender with an impressive 7-2 record. They have four remaining games of divisional play in the ultra-competitive NFC North, but look to be well on their way to postseason play.
Jefferson himself is also in a constant battle against the history books, and he tends to pick up a lot of wins in that arena. He's had one of the most prolific starts to a career of any pass-catcher in NFL history, and while he's been in the league for a year longer than Chase, he's certainly distinguished himself more than his former teammate.
This year, however, Chase might get the better of Jefferson on an individual level. He's averaging more yards per game for the first time since both have been in the league, a feat he last pulled off during the duo's remarkable 2019 season at LSU with Burrow. Of course, team success is the ultimate goal for all NFL players, and in that category, Jefferson owns an unexpected edge this season.
