When it’s the NFL offseason, odds are the biggest headlines will feature a wide receiver, sometimes even more than a quarterback. Whether it’s contract drama, cryptic tweets, or bold interviews, wideouts always seem to be at the center of the action.
Advertisement
And once the season kicks off, not much changes. Between flashy pre-game fits, touchdown celebrations, and sideline rants about not getting enough targets, they keep the spotlight going.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase recently explained why that is. In a laid-back interview with Overtime SZN, the league’s highest-paid wideout gave a simple answer when asked why receivers are often seen as divas: “We supposed to be.”
He went on to break down what makes the position different from others, especially running backs, who, according to Chase, just need to worry about the handoff. Receivers have to approach each play with precision and creativity, while also finding ways to beat defenders who’ve spent all week studying how to stop them.
“We all fu*cking divas. Excuse my profanity but [we’re] supposed to be. [We’re] not running backs. We don’t just get the ball off a handoff,” Chase said.
“We gotta depend on a quarterback, throwing us the ball, on the timing. And if you’re a great receiver, you gotta worry about beating a double team and getting game-planned against you,” he added.
So, what Chase is basically saying- a receiver without a little spice is just a running back in disguise. And honestly, we’ll give him that one. It’s got to be frustrating when all the offseason grind feels pointless because you’re not getting enough targets. And if you’re not getting paid on top of that? That’s a whole new level of disrespect. So, acting a little diva might actually be part of the job.
For now, though, it’s clearly working. Receivers are out here setting the market on fire year after year, while running backs are left pleading for long-term deals. Almost every team in the league worries about their backs getting injured, but when it comes to receivers, they aren’t that concerned.
View this post on Instagram
Ja’Marr Chase also answered a few rapid-fire questions. When asked which wide receiver stereotype he dislikes the most, he replied, “I don’t really hate none. But I’ll just say, probably possession receiver.”
Chase was also asked if he had the time to catch the new season of Quarterback on Netflix, starring his QB Joe Burrow as the main guy. He said no. He revealed that he’s only seen a few clips so far, but he’d love to watch it soon.
He also shared that he’s open to the idea of featuring in a Receiver documentary (by Netflix) like the one we got last year, which featured Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
