Justin Jefferson fuels trade speculation with comments about Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase

Well, this certainly isn't going to help squash speculation that the Cincinnati Bengals could try to trade for Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

During a recent appearance on "Cold as Balls' with Kevin Hart, Jefferson admitted that he harbored some jealousy regarding the fact that quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase get to play together in Cincinnati.

Burrow, Chase and Jefferson all played college football together at LSU. During that time, the trio experienced some major success at the college level, and they also built bonds together. Given this background information, it's understandable that Jefferson would feel a little bit salty about the fact that Chase and Burrow got to continue their careers together with the Bengals.

"I love them together," Jefferson said of Burrow and Chase. "I love the chemistry that they have with each other, but it's definitely some jealousy on that side."

You can see Jefferson's comments on the matter below:

Jefferson certainlty doesn't sound like a guy who would mind getting traded to the Bengals in order to play alongside his former college teammates. However, such a move happening seems very unlikely, regardless of how badly Bengals fans would love to see it come to fruition.

Why a Jefferson trade to the Bengals is unlikely

Not to be a wet blanket, but Bengals fans should probably pump the brakes when it comes to the Jefferson-to-Cincinnati talk.

First of all, Jefferson is Minnesota's best player and clearly one of the best receivers in the entire NFL. As a result, it seems extremely unlikely that the Vikings would be willing to part ways with him, especially considering the fact that he's still just 24 years old. Crazier things have happened, but it's tough to image the Vikings trading away that level of talent at this point in time.

Also, as tantalizing as it would be to pair Jefferson with Chase as Burrow's top two receivers, doing so would be exorbitantly expensive, and it would limit Cincinnati's ability to invest in other areas. Chase is in line for a massive extension, as is Jefferson, and while the Bengals could probably do some salary cap gymnastics and get both signed, them actually doing so seems like a long shot.

Plus, the Bengals still have Tee Higgins under contract for next season at over $20 million via the franchise tag. Cincinnati could still trade Higgins, but for now he's still a Bengal, and they're not going to pay all three of those guys.

So while Jefferson joining Chase and Burrow in Cincinnati is a dream scenario for Bengals fans, it doesn't feel like a fantasy that's going to come to fruition any time soon.