Antonio Brown to Cooper Kupp: Shannon Sharpe & Chad Johnson React to Ja’Marr Chase’ Mt. Rushmore WR Picks

Ranking and then subsequently debating the players involved has become a tried and true tradition in the world of public discourse and sports media, for better or worse. Inherently inflammatory due to its subjective nature, listing top athletes is bound to provoke a few reactions at least.

The narrative was no different when Shannon Sharpe and Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson caught wind of Ja’Marr Chase’s personal ‘Mount Rushmore of Receivers’. The pair of former pass catchers made sure to clarify that these kinds of picks often come down to preference more so than anything else.

The Bengals’ star had picked Antonio Brown, Cooper Kupp, Calvin Johnson, and Jerry Rice listed as his personal top four wideouts of all time. Ocho’s name was also mentioned by Chase as someone he would have loved to pick. That narrow miss notwithstanding, Chad reacted to the list by reiterating the point about personal preference.

“When you say certain names, you can’t go wrong. It just comes down to the preference on the type of player you like and what they did when they played,” said Ocho.

Sharpe, meanwhile, couldn’t help but feel remiss when thinking about the career of Antonio Brown. Given the unfortunate and often ridiculous incidents that routinely plagued Brown’s career following a career-changing hit from Vontaze Burfict, the former Denver Bronco stated, “I wish AB could’ve kept it together for a couple more years.”

Assessing Chase’s ‘Mount Rushmore of Receivers’

The two most notable aspects of Chase’s list are the exclusion of Randy Moss and the inclusion of Kupp. However, that’s with good reason, according to the league’s premier receiver. 

“[Picking] Kupp with the triple crown,” said Chase, justifying his pick. And no Moss? “I am not knocking them. I would add Ocho too if I could, but there’s only four.”

While Kupp may appear to be the odd one out of the group, his career certainly holds up to any form of scrutiny. Having collected a Pro Bowl nomination, an All-Pro honor, a Super Bowl ring, and a Super Bowl MVP trophy, the hardware in his trophy cabinet presents a pretty compelling case.

Throw in the fact that he was able to secure the ‘triple crown’ receiving title at the age of 28. He was also the first player at the time to do so since 2005. So Kupp’s career certainly has all the trimmings of a Hall of Famer.

The triple crown might be enough for Chase to recognize his fellow title winner, but it likely won’t be enough to persuade the public. 

The disparities in receiving totals between the former Los Angeles Rams and now Seattle Seahawks WR and the likes of Moss and Larry Fitzgerald are simply too much to ignore. Then again, this subjectivity is the beauty of such rankings.