Ja'Marr Chase certainly doesn't lack self confidence. The Cincinnati Bengals' Pro Bowl wideout made that clear when he was recently asked if he and former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson are the NFL's two best receivers.
Chase and Jefferson will share the field together Saturday when the 7-6 Bengals welcome the 7-6 Vikings to Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
"I feel like I'm the best," Chase said, via FOX19. "I don't feel like we're the two best. I feel like I'm the best."
Is Chase the league's best wideout? Statistically, he's right up there with the game's other elite receivers. The 2021 AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year, Chase has already caught 89 passes for 1,902 yards and seven touchdowns this season. Making those numbers more impressive is the fact that Bengals Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending injury after 10 games.
Chase, who has four games this season where he has tallied at least 100 receiving yards, had one of his biggest games of the season when the Bengals needed it most. He caught 11 of 12 targets for 149 yards -- including a 76-yard touchdown that tied the game in the third quarter -- that helped the Bengals defeat the Jaguars while snapping their three-game losing streak.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Chase has certainly lived up to his pre-draft projections. But when it comes to who is the NFL's best receiver, many would argue that title currently belongs to Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill, who is still on pace to become the first player to record 2,000 receiving yards in a single season.
It's safe to say Chase isn't putting Hill above himself. Chase declined to chime in on who would take runner-up in a debate of the NFL's best wideouts.
"That's for everybody else to debate," Chase replied.
Chase can strengthen his claim as the league's best wideout over the last month of the 2023 season, starting with Saturday's game against the Vikings that has major playoff implications.
