For whatever reason, there has been a debate during the last few years about whether Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings or Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals is the best wide receiver in the NFL.
Well, more fuel was added to this fire on Wednesday when ESPN released a list of the top 10 receivers in the league that was compiled by multiple executives, coaches, and scouts from around the NFL.
In the No. 1 spot is Chase, and right behind him at No. 2 is Jefferson. Despite having more First-Team All-Pro selections and an Offensive Player of the Year award under his belt, that apparently wasn't enough for the talented Vikings receiver to earn the top spot on this recent list.
Unlike Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson, Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase has had the benefit of playing with Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow was a Heisman Trophy winner at LSU in college, he was selected first overall by the Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he's thrown for an average of more than 4,600 yards and 34 touchdowns per 17 games since entering the league several years ago.
Burrow is the guy who has been Cincinnati's starting quarterback for the majority of Chase's NFL career, and the receiver has definitely benefited greatly from this.
As for Jefferson, he's caught passes from Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, Josh Dobbs, Sean Mannion, and Jaren Hall. It's not a group that features anyone who is really going to keep an opponent from sleeping at night.
Despite the variety of passers to have thrown Jefferson the ball over his career, he's still managed to experience a significant amount of success.
In five matchups without Cousins or Darnold as Minnesota's starting quarterback, Jefferson has averaged 6.4 catches, 100.6 yards, and 0.4 touchdowns per game.
The same can't be said for Chase when Burrow has been forced to miss time during the last few seasons. In seven contests without Burrow starting under center, Chase has only averaged 4.4 receptions, 58.4 yards, and 0.1 touchdowns per game.
So, is Chase's success more of a product of him getting to play with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL every season? An argument can definitely be had.
If Jefferson is able to go out and put up his usual numbers during the upcoming 2025 season with J.J. McCarthy taking over as Minnesota's new starting quarterback, then the debate next summer about who the No. 1 receiver in the NFL is shouldn't even be necessary since everyone will all agree that the title will belong to the guy in purple in yellow.