The triple crown bestowed upon Ja’Marr Chase is no ordinary feat! Last season, he led the league in receptions (127), yards (1,708), and touchdowns (17). He was elite even in his rookie year. From earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, the Wide Receiver took long strides to become one of the explosive wide receivers in the league. However, one player who has been a thorn in his side is Denver Broncos’ cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Their matchups don’t hide it either. But when it came to naming the best cornerback Chase has faced in his career so far, the WR had a different name!

Now, this comes as a surprise considering Chase’s struggles with getting past Surtain. The 25-year-old now sits among the best cornerbacks in the league after he won the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award. And the clash of the top two elite players has always been evident. Even in their first matchup, Surtain limited Chase to just one catch for three yards on four targets. Last year, the Broncos’ star limited his opponent to only three receptions on six targets for 27 yards. In Surtain’s absence, he had six catches for 75 yards.

Do we need any more convincing? But when Chase was asked about the toughest cornerback he’s faced in his career, the WR named Cleveland Browns star Denzel Ward and not Surtain! “It’s easy. I mean, Denzel,” he said on The Sitdown w/ Malik Wright.

Indeed, the Browns #21 has also made it quite difficult for the Wide Receiver. In five of the seven times against the Browns, Chase has faced Ward face-to-face. In those five matchups, the Bengals‘ #1 caught 32 passes from 51 throws for a total of 359 yards and three touchdowns as per Pro Football Reference. Now, that averages out to about 6.4 grabs for 71.8 yards per game. Now, while these are solid numbers, those are not quite Chase at his best.

It might be said that Ward has been able to slow him down. But is Ward the right choice in comparison to Surtain for stopping the WR? That is not even the end. Chase was asked to name the top 5 CBs who he believes are the best. He named Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, and Derek Stingley Jr., as the other best CBs. And thus Pat Surtain II was snubbed from his entire Top 5 list.

Was this Chase’s attempt to throw shade at the Broncos CB? After all, just a few days ago, he was seen absorbing tricks from a former NFL star on how to solve this mystery.

Chad Johnson gives valuable advice to Ja’Marr Chase

Just a few days ago, the WRs had gathered for the NFL legend Chad Johnson’s camp before the preseason began! Both Chase and Jerry Jeudy were present for this elite Bengals players’ get-together. And well after Chase’s new unofficial honor of the Triple crown, the NFL legend had to help out the Wide receiver to maintain his position. And that perhaps begins with how to handle the cornerback.

Johnson’s advice for Chase was to stay calm before the snap, and suggested dipping the shoulder toward the sideline, and gaining an early edge against the Pats’ press coverage. But the Bengals star wasn’t convinced. “In order to put pressure on him, we need to get on his cushion. You can’t get on his cushion because he’s already there,” Chase argued.

The NFL legend then tried to show his technique. But with Chase playing the role of Surtain here, he immediately got his hands on the former Bengals’ player in an urge to explain his issue and how tough it is to surpass the Browns star. Surtain has proved himself! He is the second Broncos player to win the Defensive Player of the Year award and played a big part in their first playoff berth since Super Bowl 50.

If you weren’t convinced earlier, this made it even clearer that Chase doesn’t take Pat lightly. Now, it could be that Chase was throwing some shade with that subtle snub, or maybe he’s figured out a way to beat his opponent. Either way, it’s going to be an exciting matchup when the two finally go head-to-head.