Ja'Marr Chase recruits Justin Jefferson to Bengals for reunion with Joe Burrow after historic $161,000,000 contract extension

As if having two highly paid wide receivers is not enough, Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja'Marr Chase is now trying to recruit Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson. The move will reunite him with their LSU teammate and quarterback Joe Burrow just weeks after signing a historic $161 million contract extension.

Chase was playing the hit first-person shooter Call of Duty with former LSU teammate Jefferson and was openly recruiting the current highest-paid Viking to join the Bengals.

On Justin Jefferson’s livestream Monday, Chase joked about teaming up in Cincinnati:

“I could get Justin to come to the Bengals, y'all.”

Seeing the Burrow-Jefferson-Chase combination would be tantalizing for Bengals fans. The 2019 LSU Tigers is one of the historically great teams in college football, thanks mainly to the overpowered offense that had Joe Burrow throwing the ball to Ja'Marr Chase on one side and Jefferson on the other.

Burrow broke the passing yards, touchdown and passer rating records that season. As a team, the Tigers broke the record for most points scored in a season, points per game and offensive yards per game. They went on a historic run and won the national championship.

However, the prospect of Jefferson joining the Bengals is simply unrealistic. The Bengals gave Chase a $161 million and fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins a $115 million contract extension this offseason to keep the offensive core together. Joe Burrow is also one of the highest earners in the game, with a five-year, $275 million deal.

Meanwhile, Jefferson was the highest-paid non-quarterback last season on a four-year, $160 million agreement. Even with the salary reaching a record high of $279.2 million next season, it would be impossible to fit all these mega contracts under the cap.

Justin Jefferson has the most receiving yards since being drafted, with Ja'Marr Chase at 10th

Both Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase have been wildly successful in their fledgling NFL careers. Jefferson has been the most prolific pass-catcher in the NFL since being drafted in 2020. He leads the NFL with 7,432 yards, ahead of Tyreek Hill in second and Davante Adams in third. Chase is in 10th at 5,425 yards, albeit with one less season, as he only entered the league in 2021.

However, the one statistic that Chase has been better than Jefferson at is touchdowns. Chase has 46 receiving touchdowns in his first four seasons, leading the league. Meanwhile, even if Jefferson includes the 2020 season, he only has 40 touchdowns in five years.