3 best QB-receiver combinations in the NFL for the 2023 season
By Kinnu Singh
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.