By Trevor Squire
Copyright newsweek
The debate over who is the No. 1 receiver in the NFL has revolved around former LSU teammates Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase — and Chase has not been coy about his rivalry with the Minnesota Vikings star.Approaching a Week 3 road matchup in Minnesota, Chase was asked if it would be acceptable to do the “Griddy,” Jefferson’s coveted touchdown celebration, at U.S. Bank Stadium.The Cincinnati Bengals star obliged.”I mean, if he doesn’t want me to do it, I wanna do it,” Chase said. “If he doesn’t want me to do it, then I’m gonna do it, purposely. I wanna piss him off.”Voted as the top two receivers in the league by their peers in the “NFL Top 100 Players of 2025″ poll, Chase and Jefferson are indisputably the heart of the debate for the best receiver in football.Read more: Bears’ Caleb Williams Doesn’t Hold Back on Ben Johnson Benching HimWinner of the triple crown last year, Chase led the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, and also became the first player to surpass 1,700 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns. He was voted the No. 4 player in the league, followed by Jefferson at No. 9.However, the numbers back Jefferson in the debate. The Vikings star has the most receiving yards (7,432) by any player through their first five seasons in the league and has done so without a unanimous top-10 quarterback throwing to him.Read more: Vikings Coach Sends Warning on JJ McCarthy After Falcons LossOn Thursday, Jefferson addressed the rivalry with Chase heading into the matchup.”It’s always extra when you have a player like that that’s top in the league just as well as I am,” Jefferson said. “Of course, that competitive aspect is there, but at the end of the day, it’s about our team and it’s about winning.”This Sunday’s matchup will be intriguing, with both receivers expected to be without their starting quarterbacks. Joe Burrow is out with a turf toe injury, and J.J. McCarthy is expected to miss the game after suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 2.For more on the Vikings and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
