Justin Jefferson News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/justin-jefferson/ Minnesota sports, but different Sun, 04 Jan 2026 21:54:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Justin Jefferson News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/justin-jefferson/ 32 32 Vikings Should Have Never Started JJ McCarthy https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/jj-mccarthy-injured-embarrassing-week-18-justin-jefferson-record/ Sun, 04 Jan 2026 20:49:00 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=77769 There was never any expectation of fireworks in the Minnesota Vikings’ Week 18 game against the Green Bay Packers. Matt LaFleur’s team was locked into the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, while Kevin O’Connell’s squad was already eliminated.

Regardless, the Vikings opted to start J.J. McCarthy despite his ongoing hand fracture. A key focus was getting Justin Jefferson the 53 yards he needed to extend his 1,000-yard streak, and he got it done. Another priority was giving the rookie quarterback one more game for development, but that never materialized. The predictable priorities played out in a meaningless finale.

It’s great that Minnesota recorded a 16-3 victory against their top rival, but it’s less than ideal that the game looked like a preseason contest in January.

JJ McCarthy is who we thought he was

It was December 21 when J.J. McCarthy left the game against the New York Giants after suffering a broken hand. KOC then kept him sidelined on Christmas Day against the Detroit Lions because, well, his hand was still broken. Yet in the meaningless Week 18 finale against the Green Bay Packers, they started him anyway, even though his hand was … still broken.

Yes, that was a real report. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback opted against pain management pregame to play through his fractured had, and then couldn’t finish the contest. The entirety of this situation is truthfully something else.

The level of culpability runs deep here. J.J. McCarthy has become a major concern from a durability perspective. He missed his entire rookie season due to a knee injury. Then he hurt his ankle against the Atlanta Falcons and missed more time. And, now with the hand, the decision to start him at diminished health went exactly as you’d imagine.

McCarthy threw for 182 yards on 14-of-23 passing, but he sailed potential touchdown passes to Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson. The mechanics continued to be a mess, and his lack of self-awareness (not the first time) was on display right out of the gate.

Minnesota is apparently determined to avoid repeating the same mistakes with the quarterback room in 2026 that plagued them this year. The starting point for that would be trusting McCarthy to contribute meaningfully. Until there’s a substantive reason to believe he can, it’s time to stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Justin Jefferson gets his for MN Vikings

While the result didn’t matter, individual performances certainly did. McCarthy struggled to get out of his own way, while the clear focus was getting Justin Jefferson the ball early and often. Needing just 53 yards to reach 1,000 for the sixth consecutive season, he surpassed the mark before the QB bowed out.

Now just the third wide receiver in NFL history (Randy Moss, Mike Evans) to record six straight seasons of 1,000 yard production to start his career, Jefferson was given his flowers. Short of Carson Wentz (who he averaged 94.5 yards per game with) the quarterback play by MN Vikings signal callers left plenty to be desired.

Aided by Max Brosmer’s passing (who also embarrassed himself in the contest) Jefferson recorded his first stateside 100-yard game in more than a year.

The Minnesota Vikings know that they need to fix things next season. Jefferson shouldn’t request a trade, but he’s going to expect competency from the person throwing him the ball. Kevin O’Connell didn’t provide him that this season, and there will need to be assurances if the Vikings expect their non-diva wide receiver to stay the course.

]]> Sun, 04 Jan 2026 15:54:38 +0000 Minnesota Vikings MN Vikings Star Hits Another Record in Confusing Victory https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/justin-jefferson-new-milestone-offense-struggles/ Fri, 26 Dec 2025 02:16:43 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=76595 Christmas Day was once the NBA’s day on the sports calendar. Of course, that was before the NFL stepped in, a shift not everyone is a fan of.

On Thursday, the Minnesota Vikings faced the Detroit Lions in the middle of three Christmas contests streaming between Netflix and Prime Video throughout the day. Even better, the Vikings came out on top, 23-10.

Much like last weekend’s victory over the New York Giants, the Vikings were brutal to watch for most of the game Thursday, offensively. Max Brosmer threw for just 51 yards — 30 yards of which were completed to superstar wide receiver, Justin Jefferson.

Justin Jefferson Passes Randy Moss in NFL Lore

Through his first five NFL seasons, the 2020 first round pick owns an NFL record 96.5 receiving yards per game, a mark that has taken a serious hit in 2025, thanks to inconsistent quarterback play and an offensive line that cannot stay healthy.

Nonetheless, Jefferson continues to pile up the career yardage. With his underwhelming Christmas Day performance, in fact, Justin set a new NFL record for total receiving yards through six seasons — with 8,379.

It was just enough to topple the previous record holder, a wide receiver you may have heard of, named Randy Moss. Next week, in Green Bay, Justin Jefferson will have an opportunity to add to his record.

Moss, of course, went on to rack up more than 15,000 career receiving yards, haul in 156 touchdown receptions, and earn induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Justin Jefferson still has plenty of runway to chase those benchmarks, though he’ll need more help in future seasons, if he wants to keep up his pace.

Minnesota Vikings Offense Flops in Inept Victory

Thirty receiving yards is an improvement over the four receiving yards Jefferson recorded during Max Brosmer’s first start, in Seattle vs the Seahawks, but it highlights just how low Minnesota’s offense has really fallen.

Brosmer still looked like an undrafted rookie trying to find his footing against a defense scheming up everything in their power to stop him. The former Gopher finished 9-of-16 for just 51 yards, good for a 9.0 quarterback rating.

He was also sacked seven times for minus-47 yards, making the Minnesota Vikings’ net total for passing yards on the day… just THREE.

With Jordan Mason out, and Aaron Jones struggling with injuries of his own, the Vikings run game struggled too. If not for a dominant defensive performance, combined with Jordan Addison’s 65-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, Friday’s outcome could’ve been a lot different.

Ultimately, the result marked a fittingly underwhelming end to Detroit’s playoff hopes.

It also reflects the frustrating reality of a Minnesota Vikings roster that couldn’t overcome extensive injuries and poor quarterback play in time for a now four-game win streak to matter toward their own playoff dreams.

]]> Thu, 25 Dec 2025 21:51:44 +0000 Minnesota Vikings JJ McCarthy Gets Nervous Throwing to Justin Jefferson? https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/jj-mccarthy-nervous-pressure-justin-jefferson/ Thu, 25 Dec 2025 18:43:11 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=76555 It’s Christmas Day, Minnesota Vikings fam. Now that gifts from under the tree have been opened and the kids are (hopefully) happy, it’s time to turn our attention to what’s next on the holiday agenda — food and football.

And this year, Christmas Day football isn’t just about background noise and fantasy football championships. Because the first matchup of today’s holiday triple-header is our very own Vikings vs Lions.

Unfortunately, we will not get to see JJ McCarthy make the 10th start of his NFL career this afternoon, after the 2024 No. 10 overall pick suffered a hairline fracture in his hand last week vs the Giants.

Minnesota Vikings QB and WR struggling to get on same page

And hey, maybe that’s a good thing for highly-compensated wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who hasn’t gone for over 100 yards receiving on U.S. soil in over a year.

Because life has been especially difficult for the superstar wideout, when young McCarthy’s been the guy tasked with getting him the football. It seems every other time JJ throws to JJ, it’s the QB’s worst toss the day.

How bad is it? When targeting Jefferson in 2025, McCarthy’s QB Rating is an impossibly brutal 38.4. But there may be a reason why the Minnesota Vikings starting QB has missed Jefferson so egregiously all season.

JJ McCarthy gets nervous throwing to Justin Jefferson?

It only took Andrew Krammer (Star Tribune) bringing it up during his weekly appearance on Matt Coller’s Purple Insider podcast Tuesday for me to hear about it.

But apparently, NBC play-by-play voice Mike Tirico gave us an answer to the JJ + JJ conundrum nearly TWO WEEKS AGO, during the Vikings vs Cowboys broadcast on Sunday Night Football (NBC).

The 22-year-old told Tirico in their pregame meeting that he’s been struggling with the pressure of feeding his superstar, and that he feels that pressure when targeting him.

To put it plainly, it sounds like JJ McCarthy gets nervous when throwing to Justin Jefferson.


“JJ McCarthy was honest with us about it last night. [He told us] ‘I feel a little pressure when I’m throwing the ball to him, especially early on, because he’s one of the best in the league. I wanna get him the ball, but don’t wanna force it to.'”

Mike Tirico – Sunday Night Football (NBC)

Hopefully, an offseason of development and bro bonding time between McCarthy and Jefferson will fix whatever pressure he is feeling when throwing the football to his superstar wideout.

Can Max Brosmer unlock MN Vikings Superstar on Christmas Day?

But this afternoon, McCarthy will go on the backburner for a couple of hours, while we instead pull former Gopher QB Max Brosmer from our Netflix stockings. Behind him will be John Wolford and newly reclaimed, Brett Rypien.

Most can’t forget Brosmer’s four-INT performance in Seattle earlier this season, but he came in on Sunday vs the Giants and played well, in relief of McCarthy.

Actually, Jefferson’s best catch in weeks came from the former Gopher, a gotta have it 3rd and 17 in the fourth quarter — a perfectly thrown ball placed on the sideline for Justin to grab and toe-tap in-bounds.

This drive-saving pitch and catch eventually led to a Will Reichard Field goal that won Minnesota the game 16-13.

Brosmer will be protected by (hopefully) 3/5 of the Vikings’ starting offensive line. We will find out later today if Brian O’Neill (foot) will go vs Detroit, but LT Christian Darrisaw (knee) and C Ryan Kelly (center) are both done for the season.

Of course, that is only the beginning of more Minnesota Vikings injury news of late.

]]> Thu, 25 Dec 2025 12:43:14 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Mind-Blowing Vikings Stat Explains Justin Jefferson Frustrations https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/justin-jefferson-one-year-drought-100-yard-game/ Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:56:16 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=76290 The Minnesota Vikings found a way to win against the New York Giants on Sunday, their third-straight victory.

Of course, the 2025 G-Men don’t provide a test built in advanced calculus class. If they had, the Vikings couldn’t have sleep-walked their way able to a 16-13 victory, despite numerous injuries and inconsistent play on offense.

But that’s pretty much been life as a MN Vikings fan in 2025. And now, Kevin O’Connell’s suddenly stagnant offense is in danger of losing starting QB JJ McCarthy for the final two games of the season, after he left yesterday’s game with a hand injury..

Century mark continues to elude MN Vikings wideout

Meanwhile, Justin Jefferson must feel like a Lamborghini that’s been locked in the garage all summer. And trying to catch passes from McCarthy, Max Brosmer and Carson Wentz this season have forced his numbers to tank.

Through 15 games, Jefferson has caught 72 passes for 917 yards and just 2 touchdowns. After he finished with 85 yards receiving on Sunday, it has officially been more than a year since he last posted a 100-yard receiving game on U.S. soil.

This season, Jefferson actually has two 100-yard games. They came Week 4 (126 yds) and Week 5 (123 yds), against the Steelers and Browns. But those games were not played in America.

Both of Justin’s 100-yard performances this season happened overseas. The first came in Dublin, Ireland against the Steelers, the second in London, England vs the Browns. In fact, Jefferson’s 85-yards Sunday were the most he’s caught since those two games across the pond.

And because Carson Wentz was the Vikings’ quarterback from weeks three through seven, it was also the most yards he’s totalled through the air in any game that has seen JJ McCarthy play quarterback.

Vikings must find better ways to get Jefferson involved next season

That fun fact comes with an asterisk too, however. Since McCarthy was pulled late in the 2nd quarter with a hand injury, some of those yards (26) came on this pass from MN Vikings backup QB, Max Brosmer.

Before this season started, Justin Jefferson was averaging 96.5 yards receiving per game. After 15 games in 2025, that number is down to 90.8 yards per game.

Minnesota has plenty of problems to fix this offseason, but getting their highly-compensated superstar wide receiver more involved in the weekly game plan has to be near the top.

]]> Mon, 22 Dec 2025 13:02:20 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Vikings Legend Sends Not-So-Hidden Message About Starting QB https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/cris-carter-dissects-jj-mccarthy-justin-jefferson-problems/ Tue, 16 Dec 2025 02:02:39 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=75587 The Minnesota Vikings knocked off the Dallas Cowboys in prime time on Sunday Night Football. Despite entering the game eliminated from playoff contention at 5-8 record, they still showed up and delivered a win.

It was one of J.J. McCarthy’s better performances of the season, though those have been few and far between. With the Vikings playing out the string, this final stretch remains important for the 22-year-old quarterback to demonstrate competence and growth.

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

While McCarthy may have done enough Sunday night, a questionable touchdown decision aside, not everyone is sold. Count Vikings legend Cris Carter among the skeptics, and it’s unlikely he’s speaking solely for himself.

Carter Remains Skeptical of J.J. McCarthy

Former Vikings superstar Cris Carter has not been shy about his concerns regarding J.J. McCarthy. Even after McCarthy threw for 250 yards against Dallas, Carter appeared no more convinced. The Hall of Famer discussed the performance Monday morning with Kay Adams.

“Well for one this is the first time during JJ’s career, that being Justin Jefferson, that they can’t attack the full field. Ever since his rookie year, in KOC’s offense, they’ve been able to throw the ball, especially take deep shots down the field, especially off the play action. You can see he’s starting to press, these are not the same numbers that he’s used to. Randy Moss had some of the same issues…that when things became difficult, and they only got difficult with inconsistency at quarterback…I think KOC is doing a great job by meeting with him on a weekly basis…to me I just would have said something. I’m sure JJ is doing a great job of being the team leader and everything we need him to be, and I’m glad he’s not doing things like that outwardly…

Him and KOC are on the same page. We gotta make this guy, we gotta make this work…JJ is doing the right thing. He’s saying all of the right stuff as a franchise player. I talk to him off the record, so trust me he knows what’s going on. As a leader, he realizes it’s most important that he says and stays on the right page with KOC at this point in his career.”

Cris Carter – Up and Adams

There was plenty back and forth in the conversation, but it didn’t take much reading between the lines to understand the message Carter was sending.

Carter knows the position. A Hall of Fame wide receiver with nearly 14,000 career receiving yards, he understands what elite talent needs from a quarterback. And in his view, Justin Jefferson’s prime risks being wasted by inconsistent quarterback play that fails to maximize his abilities.

Against Dallas, Jefferson saw eight targets turn into just two receptions for 22 yards. As a result, his all-time yards per game record took a hit. McCarthy is now the only quarterback Jefferson has played with, including Carson Wentz and Nick Mullens, who has struggled this much to make the connection work.

To Jefferson’s credit, he has handled the situation professionally. He signed a contract extension without theatrics and has avoided becoming a distraction, even while dealing with a young quarterback who appears overwhelmed at times.

But if you believe Carter is speaking entirely on his own, or that Jefferson’s frustrations won’t surface at some point this offseason, you’re not paying close attention.

]]> Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:22:32 +0000 Minnesota Vikings The Vikings Need to Call on Joe Burrow… Like Yesterday https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/joe-burrow-trade-rumors-mn-vikings-make-sense/ Thu, 11 Dec 2025 18:31:58 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=75058 Unless you have a working crystal ball, only time will tell us whether or not things will get easier for Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy, over the final four games of 2025, and into the start of next season.

So while Minnesota Vikings fans continue to lose years of their life worrying about our favorite football team’s quarterback situation, let’s look to Cincinnati, Ohio where Bengals ownership does not seem to understand the invaluable professional sports asset it has in, star quarterback Joe Burrow.

Joe Burrow is clearly over Cincinnati

You might have heard of the 29-year-old former college football National Champion who has completed an all-time NFL record 68.2% of his passes while throwing for 19,735 yards, 148 touchdowns and 48 interceptions over the course of his six-year NFL career.

Well if you haven’t seen the video yet, the 2x Pro Bowl QB met with reporters on Wednesday after Bengals practice. And if you didn’t know better, you’d think he’s about to announce his retirement… or possibly demand a trade.

Neither of those things happened, in the moment. But if nothing else, Joe Cool’s meeting with media members yesterday was a clear and very intentional cry for help.

Burrow: “If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing this. I have been through a lot. If it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? That is the mind set I am trying to bring to the table.”

Reporter: “You seem frustrated?”

Burrow: “There are just a lot of things going on right now. A lot of things going on.”

Reporter: “Football related or personal?”

Burrow: “All of the above.”

The Minnesota Vikings need to call on Joe Burrow

Just ask former NFL quarterback, Dan Orlovsky, who went on ESPN Radio (“Unsportsmanlike Radio”) Thursday morning and listed the Jets, Raiders and Steelers as three teams that should already be working the phones in Cincinnati, to see if they have any shot at trading for Joe Burrow.

But as our friends at The Purple Persuasion noted, a move to the NFC makes WAY more sense for Burrow than going to any of the three AFC teams Dan mentioned in the below video.

Related: First Week 15 Vikings Injury Report Littered with Veterans

If Joe Burrow is moved to the NFC, he avoids Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, on any path to a Super Bowl in the near future. And if he is off to an NFC team… is there one that makes more sense than the Minnesota Vikings, who have inarguably the best supporting cast and coaching staff of any other team that needs him?

Unlikely. Plus, one of those supporting cast members is his former LSU teammate, Justin Jefferson. But when recruiting, you have to find the pitches that hit home the most, for the individual you are courting. Not only would football be more fun here, but the Vikings have everything the Bengals do not.

On top of that, the Vikings have some of the best facilities in football and an ownership group that cares more about winning games than it does protecting every cent coming out of its bank account. If you want a MN sports comparison for the Bengals… think the Pohlads of football.

Wait… MN Vikings QB JJ McCarthy was better last week.

Before we continue, it’s worth noting that JJ McCarthy played better last weekend, in the Minnesota Vikings’ 31-0 victory over the hapless Washington Commanders. It was by far the best performance of his NFL career.

The 22-year-old redshirt rookie quarterback completed 16 of 23 passes (69.6%) for 163 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. For the most part, he played on time and in rhythm.

Now, the questions this week in Vikings land surround (a) how much of Minnesota’s game plan against Washington was simplified for JJ McCarthy and (b) did everything against the Commanders look better because of his continued QB development OR was it the defense’s rather basic scheme?

Nobody knows for sure. So, all we can do now is pray, entering week 15 in Dallas, that McCarthy can parlay his bounceback performance against DC into a stepping-stone game on Sunday against the Cowboys, who will be fighting for their playoff lives.

But what if we didn’t have to worry about that? What if we could go back to worrying about how we are going to build a team around a QB that is being paid double, triple, exponentially more than just about everyone else on the roster, like we used to with Kirk Cousins?

Joe Burrow to MN Vikings just makes too much sense

Except, instead of a borderline top-10 quarterback… it’s Joe Burrow, a bona fide top 5 talent at the position? Because you cannot watch Joe Cool’s interview from yesterday and walk away with any certainty that he’ll be in a Cincinnati Bengals uniform next season.

Do whatever you need to do, Kwesi, Kevin O’Connell… the Wilfs! I’m talking to all of you. Go show Joe the NFLPA report cards from the past two seasons, where the Vikings rank near the absolute top of all player happiness categories, while the Cincinnati Bengals are near the bottom.

Related: Vikings WR Justin Jefferson Did NOT Want to Exit Game Early vs Commanders

Sure, all of this has yet to produce much postseason success, but if you put Joe Burrow under center on this exact Vikings team, they go from 5-8 to an immediate Super Bowl contender. Of course, the trade deadline is past and that cannot happen until the offseason. But trust me when I say this, we MN Vikings fans can wait that long.

]]> Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:37:52 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Vikings WR Justin Jefferson Did NOT Want to Exit Game Early vs Commanders https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/justin-jefferson-vs-commanders-hiding-from-koc/ Sun, 07 Dec 2025 23:40:30 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=74602 “Any given Sunday” will live in the heads of Minnesota Vikings fans forever, after the roller-coaster ride of a season we’ve all endured during the 2025 NFL season. Week 14 against the Washington Commanders was no exception, either.

In fact, today’s 31-0 stomping of Jayden Daniels his reeling squad out of DC was one of the best examples of just how random life in the National Football League can feel week-to-week.

Just seven days ago, the MN Vikings were on the receiving end of a 26-0 beatdown at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks that felt very similar to the one they laid on the DC Commanders this afternoon.

Justin Jefferson left out of Minnesota Vikings win

In that loss, superstar wide receiver Just Jefferson caught just 2 passes on 6 targets for 8 total receiving yards, arguably the worst performance of his NFL career.

If you look at Justin’s box score this week, you can barely tell the difference. Again, the highly compensated wide receiver caught just 2 passes, this time for 11 yards (4 targets).

Justin Jefferson - Minnesota Vikings vs Washington Commanders
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

After the game, Kevin O’Connell met with reporters, where he was asked late in his press conference about Justin Jefferson’s lack of production lately. To that, KOC said that the Minnesota Vikings captain only cares about winning, which was THE difference that mattered to Jefferson between last week and this week.

Just because this week’s blowout was flipped in favor of the Vikings, that doesn’t mean an ultimate competitor like Justin Jefferson wants to exit the field of play early.

Justin Jefferson TRIED EVERYTHING to stay in vs Commanders

And with Minnesota up big against Washington late, that’s exactly what the Vikings coaching staff wanted him to do, with about 7-8 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

According to KOC, Jefferson did everything he could this afternoon, to avoid being pulled early. The 26-year-old even hid from the head coach, before needing multiple staff members, including security director Dave Korus to track down the organization’s most valuable asset before he could put his body in harm’s way.

“We’re going to find ways to get Justin the ball. He did not play 60 minutes today. That was a tough conversation. He tried to avoid me and run out on the field with about 7 or 8 minutes left in the game.

We were able to, you know, a collective group effort between myself, Keenan, and a couple of other folks, probably Dave Korus, our security guy as well, because Justin did not want to come out of the game, obviously.

If Justin has demonstrated anything this year. The leadership, the smile on his face right now, he wants to win. In this day and age where it’s really easy to look at these and say, ‘this guy did this’ and ‘this guy did that’.

Justin Jefferson’s been playing at a really high level, and he did again today. It’s not necessarily going to always show up in the stat sheet, but he means the absolute world to this organization.

You don’t have a performance like we did today unless your leadership, Justin being a huge part of that remains driving the ship forward and bringing some teammates along with him.”

Kevin O’Connell on Justin Jefferson’s lack of productivity vs Commanders

If JJ McCarthy continues to play better, Jefferson’s touches will come

Obviously, as KOC said, the Minnesota Vikings must find a way to get Justin Jefferson the football more regularly. That responsibility falls on the shoulders of two people for the most part, Kevin O’Connell and JJ McCarthy.

The last time we saw JJ McCarthy take the football field, he threw up one of the most disgusting performances of any QB in Minnesota Vikings franchise history — completing 12/19 passes for a whopping 87 yards and 2 interceptions (0 TDs) in a 23-6 loss @ the Packers.

I don’t know if this is where the “Nine” thing comes into play, but whoever that kid was back in Green Bay, it wasn’t who took the field at U.S. Bank Stadium in week 14. On Sunday vs Washington, McCarthy made great decisions, delivered accurately and ran (a semi-limited) O’Connell offense to near perfection.

When the dust settled in Minneapolis, JJ’s stat line was better than mind-blowing… it was efficient. The 22-year-old went 16-of-23 (69.6%) for 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. His passer rating an impressive 129.2.

But if there is one thing the Vikings were pushing for this week, that they did not see out of their 2024 No. 10 overall draft pick, it was more completed passes to superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Related: Top MN Vikings Assistant Not a Head Coach Candidate

The last thing our developing QB needs now, however, is to worry about his star receiver not getting enough catches. We’ve seen what can happen when a young McCarthy gets overstimulated.

If Jefferson wants to be a true leader, he will celebrate the kid’s performance and decision-making today, knowing it will pay him back in the future.

]]> Sun, 07 Dec 2025 17:44:55 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Viking Superstar Declines Interview After Loss https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/justin-jefferson-ignores-reporters-postgame-declines-comment-week-13/ Mon, 01 Dec 2025 02:05:23 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=73783 The Minnesota Vikings put up a disgusting performance on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. This disaster comes on the heels of a terrible performance against the Green Bay Packers just last week.

Although a quarterback change from J.J. McCarthy (concussion) to Max Brosmer took place this week, the results were basically the same. Superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson was ticked off one game ago, and things ratcheted up another notch this week, as a result.

Justin Jefferson has clearly had enough of MN Vikings

Last weekend, McCarthy posted a 34.2 quarterback rating. On Sunday against the Seahawks, Brosmer had a 32.8 quarterback rating. It’s almost hard to fathom…If a quarterback literally spiked the ball every play, his passer rating would be 39.6, higher than both. Justin Jefferson has grown sick of the ineptitude, and rather than talking about it again, he opted against it altogether.

For Jefferson to completely decline comment is indicative of the dire straits that Minnesota is in. This is a guy who signed the most lucrative non-quarterback contract in history, and did so without acting like the divas that litter his same position.

It’s hard to blame Jefferson, though, because short of veteran journeyman Carson Wentz, he’s hasn’t had a quarterback with the ability to get him the football. McCarthy has been awful, and Max Brosmer found a way to make it worse. On six targets Sunday, Jefferson caught a pair of passes for just FOUR yards.

Jefferson has 89 NFL games across the entirety of his career. His previous career low was 14 yards against the Detroit Lions in 2022. Kirk Cousins started that game and the Vikings won 28-24, so at least Jefferson had reason to go home happy.

There is zero reason for Jefferson to be happy on the flight home Sunday. He probably isn’t going to be happy the rest of the season, either. Minnesota has six games left, and they don’t have an available quarterback that looks capable of getting him the football.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell are wasting one of Jefferson’s prime seasons, and they’ll have to make the right decision on quarterback this offseason. The superstar isn’t going to sign up for another season of this nonsense, and even if McCarthy is expected to be the future, he’ll want a much more legitimate option to believe in as well.

The Vikings are a terrible 4-8 team this season. And now, it looks like the team has crushed the spirit of their top playmaker, a tragedy in and of itself.

]]> Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:24:54 +0000 Minnesota Vikings ESPN Host Says Justin Jefferson Trade Request Would Be Warranted https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/stephen-a-smith-suggests-justin-jefferson-demand-trade/ Thu, 27 Nov 2025 22:40:06 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=73467 Betting on the ability to replicate Sam Darnold’s breakthrough, the Minnesota Vikings turned the keys of offense over to redshirt rookie J.J. McCarthy during the offseason. Unfortunately, results have been nothing short of a disaster.

Sam Darnold earned a payday with the Seattle Seahawks, and Daniel Jones turned down more money for a chance to start with the Colts. That series of decisions has put the offense in a bad spot, and Justin Jefferson is feeling the results of that.

Although there have been moments where Jefferson looks at fault, the Vikings’ ultimate problem rests at quarterback. And when your superstar wide receiver needs a competent QB to get the ball, not having one becomes a major problem; one that Stephen A. Smith (ESPN) is worried will eventually boil over.

Stephen A. Smith starts the Jefferson trade talk

When Justin Jefferson was seeking his massive payday, he went about it unlike most wide receivers before him. The anti-diva has not been overly vocal about how bad his quarterback is, but there will come a point that he can no longer stay silent, says Stephen A.

“I wouldn’t blame Justin Jefferson if he asked to be traded. I’m disgusted with the Minnesota Vikings. I’ve been very, very reluctant to say that…Now [Kwesi] Adofo-Mensah the general manager for the Minnesota Vikings, and listen I’m unapologetic brothers in executive positions, I root for them because we don’t see that too often. I’m very, very happy, and I’m rooting for the brother. But him, and Kevin O’Connell made a joint decision, and they miscalculated. I understand why. Sam Darnold was a free agent…you’re looking to move on because this brother played so well last year that he was in a position to triple his salary…

Here’s my problem, this is Justin Jefferson y’all. This is an all-world receiver. The first five years of his NFL career we weren’t talking about him being great, we were talking legacy. We were talking about whether or not he was going to be in that conversation with the Jerry Rice’s and and Randy Moss’ of the world…What you don’t do to somebody like that is take away their damn quarterback for a rookie that is unproven. You don’t do that.”

Stephen A. Smith – First Take

Every team across the league would love an ideal situation where they build a Super Bowl roster around a quarterback on a rookie deal. Only the New England Patriots spent more money in free agency this offseason. Difference is, they have a good quarterback in Drake Maye, while the Minnesota Vikings have J.J. McCarthy.

McCarthy has completed just 54.1% of his passes, and has a 6/10 TD/INT ratio this season. Despite terrible quarterback play from McCarthy, Jefferson has somehow still generated 795 yards receiving. He has just two touchdowns though, and his all-time NFL record 96.5 yards per game is now down to 93.5.

When Carson Wentz came on to start for the Vikings he understood that the star wide receiver was his best path to competitiveness. That’s maybe not lost on McCarthy, but his ability is not enough to execute on that understanding.

It would be malpractice to run it back next season with McCarthy going without competition. Whether that’s Aaron Rodgers, Daniel Jones, or someone else, the Minnesota Vikings need to find a way to stop wasting their star wideout before he makes it known how sick of it he is.

]]> Fri, 28 Nov 2025 08:03:16 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Line Trending Poorly for MN Vikings in Week 13 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/offensive-line-still-out-christian-darrisaw-donovan-jackson-week-13/ Thu, 27 Nov 2025 22:06:39 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=73463 The Minnesota Vikings are just one more practice away from wrapping up preparations for the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13. Kevin O’Connell is hoping to best his former understudy Sam Darnold, with undrafted free agent Gopher Max Brosmer under center.

If the Vikings are going to rip off a victory in Seattle as double-digit underdogs this weekend, they’ll do so shorthanded on the offensive line yet again, unless they get substantially better news on the injury front Friday,

Minnesota Vikings offensive line remains a problem

Last weekend in Green Bay, the Vikings had their starting offensive line together, as intended, for the first time this season. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’ll be the case this week out west, after Christian Darrisaw and Donovan Jackson both missed their second-straight practice on Thursday.

Jackson has played in nine games this season, and so too has Darrisaw. The lack of availability doesn’t bode well for either, and short of limited participation on Friday, both will be out.

If Darrisaw is unable to go, then Brosmer will be looking to survive his first career start while having backup Justin Skule protect his blindside. Jackson being unavailable would force Blake Brandel back into action.

Both Justin Jefferson and Harrison Smith were upgraded from limited to full participation. A hip injury also put Jalen Redmond on the injury report as a limited participant.

Although quarterback J.J. McCarthy logged a second-straight limited practice, he has yet to clear concussion protocol. Minnesota signed veteran depth quarterback Desmond Ridder on Thursday.

Injuries have hamstrung the Vikings all year. They look to be trending in the wrong direction once again, and that’s not good news for a team that’s already 4-7.

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