Flopped Vikings Corner Might Get the Justin Jefferson Assignment
After weeks and months of preparation, the 2025 campaign will finally kick off on Monday for the Minnesota Vikings. The first foe on the docket is the Chicago Bears with new head coach Ben Johnson, who carries the hopes of the entire city on his shoulders.
Justin Jefferson Could Face Former Vikings Practice Squad Player
To beat the Vikings, however, it takes more than an offense. The defensive side of the ball has to stop (or at least limit) Justin Jefferson in Kevin O’Connell’s aerial attack. Having a number one shutdown corner certainly helps, and Chicago employs one man who fits the bill in Jaylon Johnson.
Johnson might not participate, though. The 26-year-old has been dealing with “a pretty bad injury in [his] groin” for months, and his status for Monday is uncertain. On Thursday, he logged a limited practice.
If he’s out, someone else would draw the scary Jefferson assignment, and this time, it might be an old friend. Last training camp, the Vikings acquired Nahshon Wright via trade. He suited up for the club only once while spending the entire year on the practice squad, but as a Bears’ second-stringer, he’d be the next man up.
Dan Wiederer of The Athletic wrote this week, “For five minutes on Tuesday, Nahshon Wright sat alone in his locker stall just a few feet away from Johnson, conversing about the window of opportunity that may stay open for him. Wright remains the proverbial ‘Next man up’ in the Bears’ secondary if Johnson remains sidelined or is limited. And now, heading into his fifth season, Wright feels a combination of pride and eagerness to take on his next career challenge after spending all of training camp working with the Bears’ starters.”
The defender initially entered the league as a third-rounder in 2021. Dallas drafted him to become a long-term corner for them, but he only started three games in three years. Last August, they swapped him for former second-rounder Andrew Booth Jr.
Booth Jr. actually contributed to Mike Zimmer’s poor Cowboys defense last season. Wright, meanwhile, spent the entire season on the practice squad in the Twin Cities. He played in one game (15 snaps on special teams).
After the season, the Vikings and the corner parted ways, and he joined the division rivals in Chicago.
Wright recently said, “When I reflect, I know that I have weathered the storm. Being traded. Being cut. Working on the practice squad. For me? I love the work I put in this offseason. I trained my tail off. So to be at this point, it’s rewarding. And there’s a lot more work to be done.”
After taking many first-team reps in the Bears’ training camp against Chicago’s wideouts, his next assignment might be Mr. Jefferson, who’s on a record-breaking career trajectory and will continue to be the focal point of the Vikings’ offense. The two frequently met in practice last year.
Wiederer added, “To Jefferson’s credit, he put no restrictions on how Wright could attack him during practice either, encouraging him to be aggressive, to attack and work his technique. ‘It reassured me that I belong in this league and that I can play,’ Wright said. ‘Going against someone of that stature and being challenged to match him on certain routes every day, it obviously helped. As a practice squad guy, that was needed reassurance.'”
While there’s some optimism about Wright’s growth in Chicago, his preseason performance was underwhelming. En route to an abysmal PFF grade of 25.4, he was targeted five times, allowed four catches for 76 yards, in addition to drawing three penalties.
One of those catches was a 58-yard bomb, and one of the penalties turned into a big Chiefs gain when his hand was stuck in Rashee Rice’s facemask.
“For whatever it’s worth, those mistakes weren’t consistent with what Wright showed on the practice field through much of the spring and summer at Halas Hall. But that won’t matter when the lights come on, either,” Wiederer analyzed.
If Wright is on the field and indeed matched up against Jefferson, expect the Bears to send safety help at all times. Top corner Johnson might draw the occasional single coverage assignment versus Jefferson, but that is guaranteed to backfire without the CB1.
It’ll remain a story to watch.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.