Jefferson Flops, Darnold Shines Repping Vikings During NFL Skills Competition

By Mason Klemm |

Updated: Jan 31, 2025

Minnesota Vikings, Justin Jefferson — Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It’s the week before the Super Bowl, which means the NFL Pro Bowl is in full swing. At least, what’s left of the Pro Bowl. The league turned it into a skills competition, and some Minnesota Vikings competed last night.

This year, the MN Vikings sent seven players to the Pro Bowl. That number is tied with the Lions for the second-most in the NFL. Headlining that group is wide receiver Justin Jefferson and quarterback Sam Darnold. Those two started off the festivities in Orlando on Thursday with the first rounds of the skills competition.

Minnesota Vikings’ Sam Darnold helps NFC take lead

It started off with a passing event. Quarterbacks had to throw at a series of targets that gave incremental point values based on how difficult the throw was. The one-point throws were the easiest with a big, standstill frame. The four and five-point throws were a lot smaller, farther away and moving side-to-side.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold excelled during his round, scoring 39 points. He had a run of six straight throws that were on target, giving team captain Eli Manning something to be proud of. Darnold’s score was second behind Lions quarterback Jared Goff (44), and he beat out guys like Joe Burrow, Russell Wilson and Drake Maye on the AFC side.

Six straight!

Sam Darnold wasn't missing many targets 🎯

📺: #ProBowlGames on ESPN
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/6qmCNgAUsN
— NFL (@NFL) January 31, 2025

The next game was “Satisfying Catches.” Each side picked one wide receiver, one defensive back and one tight end to take part in a receiving gauntlet. The NFC rolled out Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Bears cornerback Jaylen Johnson and Cardinals tight end Trey McBride.

Justin Jefferson’s Run

Jefferson went first, but he was not as smooth as Minnesota Vikings fan have become accustomed to seeing. In the one-handed catch portion, it took Jettas six tries to make the three catches, adding precious time to his team’s total. He also whiffed on his first attempt catching with the mascot gloves, but got it on the second try.

When it came to the diving catch, Jefferson didn’t even lunge out, instead opting to run the agility drill after two failed attempts. One could argue the balls thrown at him weren’t catchable, but nonetheless he finished his round in 51 seconds. The NFC as a whole put up a time of 1:57, which the AFC could not beat despite Jefferson’s struggles.

Justin Jefferson's full run – I beg of the leagues that if you are going to run weird things make sure the players understand what the hell they are doing beforehand pic.twitter.com/fDAXsJgwBX
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) January 31, 2025

With Darnold and Jefferson each gaining three points for their team, the NFC leads the AFC 14-7 heading into the rest of the competition. On Sunday, the two sides will face off in Madden, tug-of-war, punting and a football race to try and improve their scores. It all culminates in 7-on-7 flag football as the NFC looks for their third straight Pro Bowl win.

The mini-games are a far cry from the Pro Bowl of the past, but at least we get to see the athletes trying their best at something. In a traditional Pro Bowl, the effort was minimal, and it made the viewer experience miserable. There’s no perfect solution, but at least the NFL is willing to try something new.

A Pro Bowl selection is still a big deal, and maybe Darnold’s performance will be useful in contract talks this offseason. There’s still no official word on whether the Minnesota Vikings will resign him, but his name is a popular one. He was recently voted by his peers as Comeback Player of the Year.