Ja'Marr Chase reportedly wants to surpass Justin Jefferson's contract by a penny

The Bengals receiver is in the midst of a hold-in as he negotiates a new deal.

LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) reacts to scoring a touchdown against Vanderbilt with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (2) during the first half at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019. / Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Every penny counts. 

That’s apparently the view of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, whose goal in his contract negotiations is to surpass the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson as the National Football League’s highest-paid wide receiver by one cent, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. 

Chase, 24, is in the midst of a hold-in as he works to negotiate a new contract that Chase wants to match Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million deal that pays him an average of $35 million per year — or more specifically, surpass his former LSU teammate’s deal by a penny. 

Jefferson, 25, and Chase were teammates at LSU from 2018-19. Jefferson was a sophomore when Chase was a freshman in 2018, and Jefferson had 875 receiving yards and six touchdowns to Chase’s 313 yards and three scores. But Chase outshined Jefferson the following season with 1,780 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns to Jefferson’s 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns. 

That will never not be an insane receiving duo.

In three seasons with the Bengals, Chase has 268 receptions for 3,717 yards and 29 scores, including a 13-touchdown season as a rookie in 2021. In his first three seasons with the Vikings, Jefferson had 324 receptions for 4,825 yards and 25 touchdowns. In his four-year career in all, Jefferson has 392 catches for 5,899 yards and 30 scores despite missing seven games last year.

The former LSU teammates have certainly established themselves among the best receivers in the league. Whether Chase will be able to get the bragging rights and surpass Jefferson by a penny remains to be seen, but either way, they’ll both be winning with their major-money contracts.