Justin Jefferson Has Thoughts on the Future of the Vikings
When the Minnesota Vikings fired Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman on January 10th — the sixth anniversary of Blair Walsh missing a game-winning field goal in the playoffs versus Seattle — the ownership later outlined a plan for the future.
Mark and Zygi Wilf, the owners, were hellbent on finding a collaborator to run the Vikings, shifting away from the “my way or the highway” mindset rampant through the organization in recent years.
So, the Wilfs hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as general manager, a young, idealistic, and numbers-driven man to plot foundational next steps. About a week on the job, Adofo-Mensah seems to have found his man, presumptively hiring Kevin O’Connell from the Los Angeles Rams as the next head coach.
And from the Vikings roster, the transaction is receiving glowing reviews, especially from wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Minnesota’s young wideout has three years left on his rookie contract, so Adofo-Mensah must appease Jefferson with some actual winning and attention before he contemplates a Diggsian future.
The hire of Kevin O’Connell — assuming he can win more football games in the long run than Zimmer — is the shots-fired moment in hopes of retaining Jefferson beyond five seasons. At a Pro Bowl skills competition this week, Jefferson endorsed the presumptive head coach hire, stating, “I have been watching the Rams offense for a minute now, they get their playmakers the ball. This is my first head coach that’s gonna be on the offensive side instead of the defensive side, so I’m happy.”
That should jump off the page at you. When Jefferson’s happy about the future — the future, in return, feels brighter.
While placating a single player is odd, in theory, for an organization, Jefferson showed through two seasons he’s emphatically a player around which to build a football team. He’s energetic, infectious, and most of all — productive, setting the all-time NFL record for most receiving yards by a player in his first two seasons.
Here’s the video of Jefferson’s comments:
In fairness to Zimmer, the Vikings were masterful on defense for six seasons. It is not a bad thing for an organization to preach defense. Almost all Super Bowl-winning teams showcase an upper-echelon defense. However, as of late, teams with potent offenses inhabit the postseason, and the squad with the hottest defense — in conjunction with a creative offense — usually take home finger hardware.
That’s what the Vikings want to be, evidenced by the hire of O’Connell. A Rams-like, Packers-like, or Bengals-like franchise, emphasizing playmakers on offense while shoring up a respectable defense. Balance — is how teams burrow deep in the playoffs.
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Overall, so far, so good on the addition of O’Connell. If the team’s most valuable asset is excited (by his own words), the Vikings leadership conducted a successful Step One of the organizational transition.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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