Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase Says He's NFL's Top WR: 'I Know for a Fact That I Am'

Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase says he has no doubt that he is the best receiver in the NFL.

"I know for a fact that I am," Chase said Friday.

Chase, who topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2023 for the third straight season, sat out of Bengals training camp amid his bid for a new contract.

He said he will be a "game-time decision" for Sunday's regular-season opener against the New England Patriots if he does not receive an extension this weekend, per WLWT's Charlie Clifford.

This is not the first time Chase has named himself the top wideout in the league. When asked in December where he and Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson ranked among NFL receivers last season, Chase answered, "Probably one and two" (6:00 mark).

When asked who was one, Chase laughed and said, "Me."

Chase is currently set to earn a $1.1 million base salary this season. Under the terms of his fifth-year rookie option, he will make $21.8 million in 2025.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport previously reported that Chase's "goal" is to make one penny more than Jefferson, who set a positional record with his $35 million annual average salary when he signed his four-year, $140 million extension in June.

Chase responded to that report on Friday by saying that if he wanted to beat Jefferson's contract, he would want to "beat the s--t out" of it.

"Not by a penny, brother," Chase said, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.

Chase totaled 100 catches for 1,216 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last season. Despite missing time with a shoulder injury he ranked 10th in the league with 541 yards after the catch.

Although he has yet to match his output from his 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, during which he racked up 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, Chase has established himself as a top wide receiver and a consistent threat after the catch in each of his first three NFL campaigns.

The Bengals will hope to pair him up with quarterback Joe Burrow for their fourth season opener together if they can solve the contract dispute before kickoff on Sunday.