Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Sounds Off on Sam Darnold Decision
Super Bowl Sunday already won’t be an enjoyable day for Minnesota Vikings fans with former quarterback Sam Darnold leading the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots.
Darnold had a big 2024 season for the Vikings with a 14-3 record before he left in free agency for a three-year, $100.5 million deal. Minnesota went the business route and didn’t fight to keep him, instead letting J.J. McCarthy take over the offense despite his rookie season on the sidelines. In hindsight, Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson didn’t like how it played out.
“Everyone knows the difficulty of the quarterback position this year, how we were dealt it,” Justin Jefferson said in an interview with USA Today Sports. “But having a quarterback that already had a season under his belt with us, knew the plays, knew the playbook, knew the players, throwing to me, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, all these guys, I definitely feel like we would have done better.”
No one will ever know how many more wins Darnold would have given the Vikings or if he would have stayed healthy. Vikings quarterbacks took a beating behind a struggling offensive line in 2025, and Darnold would have dealt with similar challenges.
Nonetheless, the question of what could have been will haunt Vikings fans and players alike for this week. Darnold will make his first Super Bowl start with a team that didn’t make the playoffs the year before.
“It’s definitely tough. It’s tough to watch,” Jefferson told USA TODAY. “Of course, 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. Now they’re seeing that he’s a top-tier quarterback in this league.”
Darnold’s career started off rocky as the No. 3 pick with the New York Jets, where he struggled until the team traded him to the Carolina Panthers. After a failed stint in Carolina, Darnold had time as a backup behind Brock Purdy with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 before he joined the Vikings in 2024.
Everything came together for Darnold this season with another 4,000-yard performance and the top seed in the NFC. While Darnold has the benefit of a top defense and strong running game, he made the plays needed, too, to get Seattle into the Super Bowl.
“Of course, 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,” Jefferson said. “I’m rooting for Seattle and I think Seattle’s gonna win. I’ll be rooting for him.”
Jefferson enjoyed one of his best seasons with Darnold in 2024, with 103 receptions for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns. Things didn’t improve for Jefferson in 2025 with McCarthy, as the veteran wideout only tallied 84 catches for 1,048 yards and two touchdowns.
Jefferson had career lows on yards and touchdowns, and he was nearly two yards below his yards per reception average, too. The Vikings won’t be able to hit reset on the Darnold decision, but it will behoove Minnesota to get Jefferson the ball much more in 2026.
Minnesota looks primed to obtain a veteran quarterback in free agency to at least push McCarthy, but it’s possible the Vikings could find a veteran starter instead. The main hurdle is the Vikings’ dismal salary cap situation of $40.63 million over the cap will challenge the team to find a significant upgrade at quarterback.
That said, Minnesota can ill afford to lose another season of Jefferson’s prime to uncertainty at quarterback.
