Asked About Sam Darnold, Justin Jefferson Gives an Honest Answer.
Justin Jefferson is in the upper-echelon when it comes to star power in the NFL. He’s one of the premier players on the field and has a likable personality off the field, making him one of the most popular athletes in all of football. With inconsistent quarterback play in 2025, his production dipped compared to prior seasons. Jefferson was asked this week if the Vikings could have represented the NFC in the Super Bowl with Sam Darnold. His answer couldn’t have been much clearer.
In an interview with USA Today, Jefferson was asked the million-dollar question: Would the Vikings be in the Super Bowl with Mr. Darnold throwing passes to Mr. Jefferson?
“Yeah, I mean, for sure. Definitely. Everyone knows the difficulty of the quarterback position this year, of how we were dealt it. But having a quarterback that’s already had a season under his belt with us, knew the plays, knew the playbook, knew the players. Of course, throwing to me, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, all of these guys, I definitely felt like we would’ve done better. But it is what it is. It’s on to new and better things, but I’m definitely happy and proud for him that he was able to reach it this year.”
Darnold came to the Vikings in March of 2024 to take over the reins from Kirk Cousins with the plan to revive his career. In his first season as a full-time starter after taking over backup duties with the 49ers in 2023, Darnold delivered 35 passing touchdowns and 4,319 passing yards en route to his first Pro Bowl and a 14-3 record.
Jefferson is happy his former teammate is doing well, “I love that he’s in the Super Bowl. I’m happy for him. I want nothing but the best for him, especially the way his journey was at first. People doubting him and people not giving him the respect. Now they’re giving him that respect. They’re seeing that he’s a top-tier quarterback in this league. Selfishly, I wish that he had done that for us last year, but to see him blossom and bounce back right after last year and make it this year, I’m all happy for him and I hope he wins. I’m rooting for Seattle, and I think Seattle’s gonna win.”
The wideout is a true “good guy,” which is why it’s easy to root for him. Of course, the same can be said about Darnold, who has never thrown anyone under the bus, including the Vikings this year.
So why did the Vikings let him leave? They started their next chapter about six weeks after signing Darnold when he was joined in the QB room by 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy. The rookie missed his debut season with a knee injury and the Vikings were not ready to give up on the dream of having a homegrown franchise quarterback after one season on the sidelines.
In hindsight, the decision has become fair to question, given Darnold’s success elsewhere. Darnold is in the Super Bowl with the Seahawks and the Vikings had subpar QB play all year, leading to a 9-8 record thanks to an elite defense.
Jefferson’s comment, “I definitely felt like we would’ve done better,” is the understatement of the year. The receiver barely crossed the 1,000-yard mark and he needed all 17 games to do so. Just for comparison, he logged over 1,000 yards in only ten games in 2023 and the quarterback play wasn’t that great in that campaign either.
The Vikings now have a decision to make. Do they stick with McCarthy for another year, or do they replace him? A middle ground could be the acquisition of another QB to compete with him for the starting role.
Ahead of the season finale, Jefferson discussed the future of the QB position, endorsing another try with McCarthy: “That’s not my job. Of course, I would love for [J.J. McCarthy] to be here, of course, I would love for him to be the quarterback, especially off of this year. I feel like he needs to show everybody and prove to everybody that he is that top-tier quarterback. So I would love to have him and love to work with him and show everybody that he is that No. 1 guy.”
Jefferson’s latest comments will inevitably add to the ongoing debate about Minnesota’s quarterback decision last offseason.