Oct 30, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates his catch against the Arizona Cardinals in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.
Well, Justin Jefferson has added another honor onto the pile.
According to his peers, Jefferson is the NFL’s 2nd-best player. The Vikings’ Twitter account was sure to promote the accomplishment, declaring, “THE PLAYERS HAVE SPOKEN.” In a different tweet, the Vikings’ social media shares the 5+ minute video of various NFL players describing what makes #18 so sensational.
Last year, Jefferson came in at 17th in the NFL, so his Offensive Player of the Year season certainly had an impact. He finished last season with 128 catches, 1809 yards, and 8 touchdowns.
Perhaps the only remaining thing for Jefferson to work on is his touchdown total; pushing his scoring output into the double digits on a year-in, year-out basis would remove any lingering doubt (as if there’s very much left) that he’s the greatest receiver in the NFL.
Very reasonably, Patrick Mahomes finds himself atop every NFL player in the ranking. The top 5 includes Mahomes, Jefferson, Jalen Hurts, Nick Bosa, and Travis Kelce. Hard to quibble too much with that ranking, folks.
The receiver closest to Jefferson is Miami’s Tyreek Hill, who gets into the top 10 with a 7th overall placement.
Minnesota is pursuing the unlikely goal of repeating their 13-4 record. There has been a major talent exodus that has often involved moving on from well-paid veterans in favor of in-house replacements, cheaper FA signings, and/or recent draftees.
One thinks of Jordan Addison/K.J. Osborn for Adam Thielen, Byron Murphy for Patrick Peterson, and Brian Asamoah for Eric Kendricks as just a few examples. Embracing younger, cheaper players is part of the GM’s commitment to maintaining competitiveness in the immediate while simultaneously building toward a future where the Vikings are perpetual Super Bowl contenders (a.k.a. the competitive rebuild).
One constant, though, has been Mr. Jefferson. The WR1 has consistently expressed his desire to be the game’s preeminent receiver while also being a catalyst for propelling Minnesota to its first ever Super Bowl. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell have always praised the young phenom for his desire to win.
An extension to keep Jefferson in town for the long haul is in the works. Yes, some fans are growing impatient, but the expectation is that a deal will get done before too long. Each party is looking to keep the relationship going for a little while. Still only 24, Jefferson wants to devote the prime of his football career to the Vikings.
Recently, Justin Jefferson declared that he’s looking to help prove people wrong when it comes to K.J. Osborn. The pair want to establish themselves as being among the best WR tandems in the NFL.
They’ll get the chance to do so starting on September 10th when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to Minnesota for Week 1 of the 2023 regular season.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.