Justin Jefferson Is a Fan of His New QB
Justin Jefferson is coming off his least productive season as a professional athlete, at least from a total number perspective. He still managed to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in only ten games, and he even missed roughly four quarters in those contests. The hamstring injury is now behind him, and he wants to return to the league’s top in the receiving categories.
Justin Jefferson Is a Fan of His New QB
He must have a solid quarterback throwing him the ball to generate the necessary catch numbers. Jefferson excelled with Kirk Cousins throughout his career, but in 2024, he will have a new starting quarterback for the first time besides the few games with the backup QB carousel last year.
Cousins moved to Atlanta, and the Vikings acquired former third-overall pick Sam Darnold in free agency and J.J. McCarthy with the tenth overall pick in the draft. While McCarthy is certainly Minnesota’s future QB, Darnold is currently slated to be the starting quarterback. He handled most of the QB1 duties in the first training camp practice session, with McCarthy subbing in infrequently.
Jefferson was asked about the QBs after practice, and he praised his new top QB and added some positives about McCarthy, too:
[The chemistry with Darnold] is going great. All of the quarterbacks are doing great. J.J. is coming along, learning the playbook, and just getting comfortable being out there. Sam has been throwing bombs today, and he’s been looking great as well. I’m excited to see what all of the quarterbacks have during training camp and see who we’re going to see during the season.
Justin Jefferson
It remains to be seen how the Vikings will proceed with their two signal-callers, but Darnold is currently the favorite to lead the team onto the field in Week 1’s road matchup versus the New York Giants. The veteran found Jefferson in their first practice session for a deep touchdown in what was the first of many highlight plays between the two.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell will make the final decision later in the offseason, and he talked about the competition on Monday: “I have no preconceived, preset depth chart in my mind beyond, I believe I said at the end of spring, Sam was the number one quarterback. Sam had a great spring. J.J. came in here after being drafted and had a really productive spring as well. So, my message to those guys is I want a really competitive situation. Sam will be taking the majority of his reps with that first group, but I think you’ll see J.J. maybe get some as well. But also, it’s about the quality as much as the volume of those reps throughout camp.”
Darnold tossed 63 touchdowns and 56 interceptions through 66 career games (56 starts). The Vikings hope he can improve his production, surrounded by the best playmakers and perhaps the best play-caller of his starting career.
Still, McCarthy will challenge him sooner rather than later. If he performs well, the decision-makers will be tested if they stand by their cautious approach or make the switch early.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt