Jon Gruden has no doubts about NFL's top WR.
Jon Gruden Names Best Wide Receiver in NFL Without Hesitation originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Jon Gruden, a former NFL head coach who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002), has years of sideline and film-room experience and remains one of the most respected football minds around.
While his public standing is complicated by the controversies that ended his Las Vegas Raiders tenure in 2021, Gruden’s long coaching resume and reputation still hold a lot of weight.
That's why when he gives his take on the NFL's elite, people listen.
In a short, wide-ranging, rapid-fire interview with creator Peighton Tubre this week, Gruden put his chips on Ja’Marr Chase when asked who the league’s best wide receiver is right now.
"I gotta go with Ja’Marr Chase — he’s the best, I think right now," Gruden said, later adding that he also likes Tyreek Hill and Justin Jefferson but still ranks Chase at the top.
Ja'Marr Chase Through the Years in Cincinnati
After being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals No. 5 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, joining his former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, Chase wasted little time making his mark.
He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year after finishing with 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on just 81 receptions, plus 368 receiving yards in the playoffs, a rookie NFL record.
Now, four years later, he's had a generational start to his NFL career, posting 395 catches for 5,425 receiving yards and 46 receiving touchdowns through the end of the 2024 season, accumulating four Pro Bowl nods over that span.
Best of all, Chase is coming off his most dominant year yet, going for 1,708 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns on 127 receptions, leading the league in all three categories to claim the NFL receiving "Triple Crown."
Is Gruden’s Take Fair and Is It the Consensus?
Gruden’s pick for Chase is defensible on multiple fronts.
Chase combines elite catch-and-finishing ability, body control, contested-catch skill plus route-running improvements that have shown up on tape and in advanced player grades.
His 2024 Triple Crown and unanimous All-Pro selection in 2024 are objective indicators that he peaked (so far) above his peers last season.
Importantly, Gruden’s opinion is not out in the cold.
A recent ESPN survey of NFL executives, coaches and scouts published on July 16 placed Chase at No. 1 among all wide receivers, with roughly 70% of first-place votes, ahead of perennial alternatives Jefferson and Hill.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
