Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase thinks he or Minnesota Vikings rival Justin Jefferson will be the NFL’s first 2,000-yard receiver.
The most receiving yards in a single NFL season is 1,964, achieved by Detroit Lions wideout Calvin Johnson in 2021 – breaking Jerry Rice’s 27-year-old record of 1,848.
Two players have since eclipsed Rice’s mark with Julio Jones tallying 1,871 in 2015 and Cooper Kupp reaching 1,947 in 2021.
The league has never had a 2,000-yard receiver but Chase believes the feat will come within the next three seasons, nominating himself or Jefferson to break the barrier.
“The next three years, somebody has to do it, if it’s not me,” Chase told CBS Sports.
When pushed for a prediction of who it could be, the 25-year-old replied: “Me and Justin [Jefferson], of course.”
According to the best Irish bookmakers, Chase is the 6/1 favourite to record the most receiving yards next season with Jefferson next at 8/1.
Most Receiving Yards In A Season In NFL History
Calvin Johnson – 1,964 (Detroit Lions, 2012)
Cooper Kupp – 1,947 (Los Angeles Rams, 2021)
Julio Jones – 1,871 (Atlanta Falcons, 2015)
Jerry Rice – 1,848 (San Francisco 49ers, 1995)
Antonio Brown – 1,834 (Pittsburgh Steelers, 2015)
Justin Jefferson – 1,809 (Minnesota Vikings, 2022)
Tyreek Hill – 1,799 (Miami Dolphins, 2023)
Isaac Bruce – 1,781 (St. Louis Rams, 1995)
CeeDee Lamb – 1,749 (Dallas Cowboys, 2023)
Charley Hennigan – 1,746 (Houston Oilers, 1961)
The pair share a close friendship, rooted in their time playing together with the LSU Tigers in college. There is a healthy competition between the two, being the standout best in their position.
Chase and Jefferson combined for an incredible 3,320 yards in the air with the help of Joe Burrow at quarterback as LSU cruised to an undefeated national championship season in 2019.
Chase’s best year came in 2024, winning the triple crown – the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to do so – after leading the league in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and receiving touchdowns (17).
He became the first player in NFL history to record multiple games of 250 or more receiving yards and two or more touchdowns in a season.
That campaign earned him a four-year, $161 million contract extension with the Bengals – making him the highest paid non-QB in league history.
On the other hand, Jefferson is just as likely. He has been named to the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team in four of his first five seasons and amassed the most receiving yards through a player’s first five seasons in NFL history.
At just 23 years old in 2022, he became the youngest player to lead the NFL in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809) while earning Offensive Player of the Year honors.
In his debut season of 2020, Jefferson set the record for most receiving yards by a rookie (1,400) in the Super Bowl era but Chase came along a year later with 1,455 and took that title for himself.
Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams arrived in 2023 and amassed 1,486 to shove both of them out of the way but it goes to show the pair’s greatness was evident from a very early stage.