NFL fans can expect these three top-ranked quarterback-receiver combinations to dominate the league throughout the 2023 season.
Among the NFL's leading offenses, the symbiotic relationship between quarterback and receiver can appear more individualistic than it is in reality.
Aaron Rodgers was already a Super Bowl-winning quarterback when the Green Bay Packers drafted Davante Adams, but Rodgers solidified his Hall of Fame chances by connecting with Adams over seven years. Rodgers may have been the one earning NFL MVP in 2020 and 2021, but it cannot be ignored that he targeted Adams on 34 percent of passes in 2020 and 32 percent of passes in 2021. Rodgers is known as a great quarterback, Adams is known as a great receiver, and the two combined to create a quarterback-receiver connection that neither has been able to replicate with other players.
Quarterbacks and wide receivers have been working together to raise their stocks the way Rodgers and Adams did in Green Bay. Kirk Cousins flourished with Stefon Diggs, but he helped Justin Jefferson break the NFL rookie receiving yards record in the Super Bowl era. Diggs went on to the Buffalo Bills and became a critical component of Josh Allen's gameplan, unlocking the potential of the AFC powerhouse. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase have been fortunate enough to bolster the chemistry they built during their LSU championship days to chase NFL championships the past two seasons.
These players would be successful enough on their own, but together, they make compelling cases for future Super Bowl champions. Here are three NFL quarterback-receiver duos that have the ability to overtake the league in 2023.
No. 3 best QB-WR combination in 2023: Kirk Cousins – Justin Jefferson
Before Justin Jefferson arrived, it seemed that Kirk Cousins was on his way to becoming another overpaid quarterback who couldn't deliver the desired results. Cousins showed he was capable with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, but his connection with Justin Jefferson has brought both players league-wide renown.
Jefferson led the NFL with 128 receptions for 1809 yards, which is why he won NFL OPOY and came in fifth in NFL MVP voting. Insisting that he is the NFL's most talented wide receiver, Jefferson has proclaimed his intention to establish the 2,000-yard club, an unprecedented feat among NFL wide receivers. If Jefferson continues to accelerate at his current exponential rate, he'll hit that benchmark in 2023. In each of his three NFL seasons, Jefferson has boosted his single-season receiving yards record by approximately 200 yards: 1400 in 2020; 1616 in 2021; 1809 in 2022.
In 2022, Cousins and Jefferson led the NFC North with a 13-4 record, but a quick out in the NFC Wild Card Round exposed the inconsistencies that plagued Minnesota all season. For months, the Vikings survived on the Cousins-Jefferson connection to spare them in high-scoring shootouts. Jefferson may have defended his quarterback, but there were legitimate criticisms about his 2022 performances.
Ideally, the Vikings will be able to round out the rest of their roster and create a more formidable front against opponents, but that doesn't mean anything can or should change for Cousins and Jefferson. It'll be challenging for Jefferson to follow up his best season yet, but that's precisely what he's done for the past three years.
No. 2 best QB-WR combination in 2023: Joe Burrow – Ja'Marr Chase
One year after Jefferson impressed with a historic 1400-yard rookie season, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase followed suit by besting Jefferson's record with 1,455 yards. It's no coincidence that Chase won Offensive Rookie of the Year two years after winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award — these individual awards were the result of a synchronized team effort.
Chase has had the distinct benefit of catching passes from Joe Burrow in Baton Rouge and Cincinnati, a partnership that has allowed both players to realize their respective potentials. In 2019, Burrow and Chase teamed up to win the 2019 National Championship for an undefeated LSU team, while Chase accrued 1780 receiving yards.
In two seasons with the Bengals, Chase became a two-time Pro Bowler, was named second-team All Pro, and made the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2021. Additionally, the Bengals appeared in Super Bowl LVI and the AFC Conference Championship last season.
While many young NFL players struggle to translate collegiate skills to the professional realm, Burrow and Chase prove that targeting a college connection in the draft is a clever strategy.
Burrow described himself and Chase as "really good friends," affirming that their years-long friendship influences the chemistry onfield.
"We have a strong bond off the field and that translates onto the field," Burrow said in an interview with Complex. "I think everybody can see that."
Burrow and Chase thrived in 2019, 2021 and 2022, and there's no reason the pair won't ascend to even greater heights in 2023.
No. 1 best QB-WR combination in 2023: Josh Allen – Stefon Diggs
In a subjective ranking of the NFL's top quarterback-receiver combinations, Buffalo Bills stars Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs grace the top of the list because their capability needs particular emphasis at the moment.
There still hasn't been much clarity from Diggs, Allen or the Bills organization on the current status between Diggs and the Bills, even with Allen's emphatic support of his wide receiver over the past month. When Allen said his offense doesn't work without Diggs, he wasn't exaggerating — both players have dramatically benefited from each other's presence.
Diggs spent his first five seasons in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, and in his last two seasons there, he caught passes from Kirk Cousins. The arrival of Cousins did boost Diggs' numbers, with Diggs marking 1021 yards in 2018 and 1130 yards in 2019. Before then, Diggs hadn't broken 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Still, his move to the Bills proved he had even more to offer, with Diggs enjoying career-highs in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535) in 2020. With 1,225 receiving yards in 2021 and 1,429 receiving yards in 2022, Diggs still hasn't regressed to his numbers with the Vikings. And for Allen, Diggs has been the key to unlocking 4,000-yard seasons.
Allen did improve from his rookie season of 2,074 yards to a sophomore season of 3,089 yards, but Diggs' arrival in 2020 created the Allen that Buffalo adores today. Allen saw a career-best 4,544 passing yards in 2020, aligning with Diggs' best season to date. It was a pretty fantastic season for the Bills as a whole, with the AFC East champions earning a 13-3 record and advancing to the AFC Championship game.
If the Bills are ready to embrace last year's preseason Super Bowl predictions and win their first Lombardi Trophy, the chemistry between Allen and Diggs will be an integral component to their success.