Ja'Marr Chase explains why Mike Evans is the standard for WRs

Ja'Marr Chase has already established himself as one of the most dominant receivers in the NFL, but when Kay Adams pushed him on FanDuel TV's Up & Adams about chasing gaudy yardage totals, the Cincinnati Bengals star receiver pointed to a different number entirely — and a different player. Adams opened by asking whether 1,400 receiving yards is the benchmark Chase wants to achieve every year. He corrected her immediately, saying that's not really the number that matters to him. Instead, Chase named the figure that's become the sport's quiet gold standard: 1,000 yards, done every single year, without fail. The reason, he explained, traces directly back to Mike Evans. Chase called the Buccaneers veteran the "inspiration" for receivers across generations, both the young guys entering the league and the established veterans already in it. "It's still something that you want to consistently have every year," Chase said. "... The consistency is just being a 1,000-yard receiver. And that's how you're gonna lead your way. Up until this past year, Evans had tallied more than 1,000 receiving yards in 11 consecutive seasons since he was a rookie in 2014 through the 2024 season. Evans missed the mark in 2025, though, after an injury-riddled season, but hopes to get back on the good side of 1,000 yards in 2026 with the San Francisco 49ers. This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Ja'Marr Chase explains why Mike Evans is the standard for WRs