Jun 7, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (4) and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) look on during mandatory mini camp at TCO Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.
Pro Bowl votes began tabulation this week, and the Minnesota Vikings are in good shape as one particular man leads the way.
The actual Pro Bowl game was abolished last offseason, but the powers that be still recognize the NFL’s top dogs via voting.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”1191373″ player=”26279″ title=”The%20Vikings%20Are%2082.%20Let's%20Talk%20about%20It.” duration=”1281″ description=”Josh Frey and Dustin Baker discuss the Cowboys and Patriots, from a Vikings perspective.” uploaddate=”2022-11-22″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19437/snapshot/1191373_th_1669143255.jpg” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19437/sd/1191373.mp4″ width=”16″ height=”9″]
And in the early stages of voting, Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson leads the way with 72,043 votes, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
Tomasson tweeted Wednesday, “The NFL announces that Vikings WR Justin Jefferson leads all players in Pro Bowl votes.”
Jefferson ranks second in the NFL in receiving yards through Week 11 with 1,093, behind only Tyreek Hill, who has 1,148 yards down in Miami. And for Pro Bowl voting, Jefferson leads Patrick Mahomes (69,679 votes) and Saquon Barkley (68,936).
Jefferson’s vote is propped up because the Vikings also happen to be winning in 2022, unlike recent seasons of 2020 and 2021. The Vikings are 8-2, the NFL’s second-best record behind the Philadelphia Eagles (9-1). Minnesota has a 99% probability of reaching the postseason, 97% of winning the NFC North, and a 5% chance of winning the Super Bowl, per FiveThirtyEight.
Individually, Jefferson is on a barn-burning pace, scheduled to accrue 1,858 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns per his current production rate. The yardage mark would shatter Randy Moss’ single-season franchise record of 1,632 yards from 2003.
Jefferson is also experiencing more attention than ever in a Vikings offense, especially compared to his freshman and sophomore campaigns:
Justin Jefferson’s Targets,
thru 10 Games of a Season,
Career:
2020 = 59
2021 = 89
2022 = 105
The deadline for fan voting on the NFL’s website and social media is December 15th. You can vote here.
Instead of a football game among Pro Bowlers, the NFL will host a Pro-Bowl-like event on February 5th, 2023, with these items:
The Vikings sent five players to the Pro Bowl in 2021 — Dalvin Cook (RB), Kirk Cousins (QB), Justin Jefferson (WR), Brian O’Neill (RT), and Harrison Smith (SS).
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).