Justin Jefferson Breaks His Silence
The Minnesota Vikings have some star players on the roster. Jordan Addison is one of the more explosive wideouts in the business, both offensive tackles received some buzz in the past, and defender Andrew Van Ginkel managed to wiggle into the spotlight in 2024. But nobody comes close to Justin Jefferson and the star power he possesses.
Justin Jefferson Breaks His Silence
Jefferson has been the face of the franchise since his rookie season, in which he tabulated 1,400 receiving yards. That number is out of reach, given the subpar quarterback play he has to work with. The star receiver had to pivot from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold and then to J.J. McCarthy. With the latter, he has not clicked.
His frustrations seemed to reach another level on Sunday. Following the embarrassing shutout loss in Seattle, Jefferson left the locker room without addressing the media. During the game, he also looked visibly frustrated, and nobody can blame him.
On Thursday, he finally talked to reporters. Fortunately, he doesn’t have any diva DNA in him — a rarity for superstar receivers.
“Yeah, I was just frustrated about the game,” Jefferson commented. “Coming out with zero points is something that I’m never satisfied with.”
At the current rate, Jefferson will crack the magic 1,000-yard mark, but it will be way closer than it should’ve been. He managed to collect over 1,000 yards in 2023 despite playing only ten games.
Jefferson continued, “We lost and obviously I just feel like it’s the same thing. I’m going to be sitting there, telling you guys the same exact thing that I’ve said the past couple weeks. The offense needs to get better. We need to focus up and execute and all of the things we’ve been saying for the whole season. The frustrations and the emotions definitely were high after the game.”
The entire offense has been pretty poor this season. A downgrade at quarterback from Darnold to McCarthy is a major reason for that. The Vikings can’t get any consistency from that position, and Carson Wentz was undoubtedly the best one. That should tell you everything you need to know about starter McCarthy and QB3 Max Brosmer.
One might think the Vikings wasted one of Jefferson’s prime years, but the receiver doesn’t view it that way.
“I wouldn’t say (this season was) wasted. Obviously, it’s a difficult season, probably one of the most difficult seasons, just off of the circumstances, having a young quarterback, having a different team, having young players on the team. So it’s just one of those years. Not every year is going to be a top-tier year. It’s really a part of the game.”
His comments won’t magically improve the record or the playoff chances (they are near zero), but he didn’t pour gasoline on what, from the outside, looks like a burning franchise. The Vikings need to find out if McCarthy is the future and at least give him competition for the QB1 gig — or just replace him.
Jefferson remains optimistic, “There are going to be better times.”
After five seasons with at least 87.5 receiving yards per game, Jefferson is currently sitting on only 66.6. A more competent passer would help. The last five games will be all about McCarthy and his necessary growth.
Everyone is looking for a quarterback with franchise QB qualities. That includes on-field talent and off-field behavior. The Vikings found the closest thing to a franchise wide receiver.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.