Yes, You Should Be Worried about Justin Jefferson.
Not for the first time, we have seen people in the national spotlight suggest that Justin Jefferson should be considering a trade. He’s a superstar player, and the media won’t want him wallowing on a bad team. This season, that’s what the Vikings are, so should Vikings fans be worried about Jefferson wanting out? I don’t think this is a simple yes-or-no answer, and it got even more complicated after a horrible day in Seattle.
VikingsTerritory examines whether Vikings fans should be worried about the current situation and how it pertains to the future of Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson is a fierce competitor with a desire to win. He came into the league as a collegiate national champion, but his team in the pros has never looked like matching that success, despite his historical play at wide receiver.
It’s More Than Fair to Raise Alarm Bells about Justin Jefferson’s Feelings about the Vikings
Under Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings have had a couple of good regular-season campaigns only to get dumped out of the playoffs at the first hurdle. The 2025 version of the Vikings can only dream of meaningful football in January.
The biggest worry regarding Jefferson is that the team’s most significant problem area is the offense – notably the quarterback position. It’s now got so bad in the Minnesota QB room that the only viable option for the last five games is to throw JJ McCarthy back out there when he clearly doesn’t look ready. Against Seattle, Jefferson had just two catches for four yards, comfortably a career low, and the TV cameras made sure his frustration was front and center for everyone to see.
Jefferson Skips Media Duties
Jefferson has always been good with his media duties, whether that’s with his usual smile and enthusiasm or fronting up when things haven’t gone to plan with honest, level-headed analysis. In recent weeks, the frustration has been growing and came to a head when the Vikings’ star player skipped post-game media duties.
The clearest sign yet that Jefferson is unhappy, and why would he be? No longer will it just be those who like to be loud and controversial, shouting about Jefferson trade theories. If this keeps up, trade talk will be rife and become uncomfortable for Vikings fans who don’t want to lose their star player. Should Vikings fans be worried about this situation? Absolutely.
The organization needs a plan for the 2026 season that will make Jefferson confident that sticking around will be beneficial. Until that plan is unveiled, Jefferson trade talk will be rampant.
How Worried Should We Be?
The Vikings have lost six of their last seven games as this season has fallen away, and a common theme has been the team’s struggles to get their star man the ball. Except for back-to-back 100-yard receiving games in Week 4 and 4 when Carson Wentz was playing, getting Jefferson the ball has proved too difficult.
There should undoubtedly be concern from the fanbase, and that concern can turn to flat-out panic if no Plan B at QB is forthcoming for next year. Minnesota can’t go into next season with McCarthy, Brosmer, and a low-end veteran backup as the options and expect Jefferson to be happy. Until a plan becomes clear, we can expect a lot of trade talk over the coming months.
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