Cris Carter Claims “Off the Record” Knowledge of Justin Jefferson’s QB1 Opinion
Former Vikings receiver Cris Carter is an all-time great, not just in Minnesota but within league history (as evidenced by his spot in the Hall of Fame). Listen when he speaks.
Recently, he has been speaking quite a lot, critiquing J.J. McCarthy. The discussion of Minnesota’s still-improving passer has resulted in some focus on Justin Jefferson, the league’s top receiver who doesn’t have the statistics to reflect that status. Carter’s claim of “off the record” knowledge about Jefferson’s understanding of Minnesota’s QB1 situation may have raised some eyebrows.
Cris Carter, Justin Jefferson, & The Young QB1
Credit to Kay Adams for digging into the issue with Mr. Carter, asking the retired receiver to comment on what’s taking place in the Twin Cities.
To Carter’s mind, Jefferson is “the franchise player” who is “doing the right thing” by “saying all the right stuff.” There’s then the words about having that extra layer of insight: “I’ve talked to him off the record, so trust me, he knows what’s going on. But, 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.”
The main takeaway from Carter’s words is that Jefferson is doing the correct thing by avoiding publicly criticizing his young passer. There appears to be an acknowledgement of some behind-the-scenes comments on the quarterback play not being good enough. Those frustrations — all legitimate, for the record — are getting silenced in the name of leading the Vikings.
As for Carter? Well, there are no such constraints.
Mr. Carter has been outspoken in his criticism, maintaining a decent amount of skepticism about the sophomore who has yet to ignite a strong connection with the WR1. The end result has been Jefferson sitting at an almost incomprehensibly-modest set of statistics: 66 catches, 832 yards, and 2 touchdowns.
Only twice has Jefferson cleared 100 yards in a game. Both arrived overseas when Carson Wentz was starting. A J.J. McCarthy game in North America where Justin Jefferson gets past 100 yards is badly needed.
The next three games are going to be pivotal. Seeing Jefferson fail to surpass 1,000 yards would be a team-wide failure. Yes, the stats are individual, but the roster around Jefferson is largely responsible for hindering his progression toward a his sixth-straight season clearing the notable benchmark.
The mandate in the remaining three games — the Giants in Week 16, the Lions in Week 17, and the Packers in Week 18 — is to see McCarthy continue progressing by incorporating Jefferson as the top weapon. Not just success without Jefferson, as has been the case these past two weeks. Crucially, there needs to be success with Jefferson.
One wonders if Cris Carter is taking that approach that he’s taking as a result of Justin Jefferson being constrained by being a team captain.
Jefferson has much to lose were he to go public with his concerns. He’s Minnesota’s most important player and leader. Going nuclear by publicly undermining McCarthy, the No. 10 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, would sink the Vikings since the team would be a kingdom divided against itself.
Carter appears to have no such quibbles.
He is, after all, a retired player, one who is very invested in Minnesota’s success and yet not directly playing a part in the same manner as Jefferson. Carter is doing the dirty work on Jefferson’s behalf, holding McCarthy’s (and Kevin O’Connell’s) cleats to the fire to help ensure that Jefferson gets the focus he deserves.
Finally, consider those words that get tacked onto the end of Carter’s response: “at this point in his career.” Jefferson, 26, is operating from within his sixth NFL season. He still has several years of his prime in front of him and he maintains confidence in Minnesota. That’s the case right now.
But then there’s the sliver of doubt that gets shoehorned into the mix. If things don’t improve, Jefferson may choose a different path in December of 2026 than he did in December of 2025. Being so diplomatic publicly may not be an option if the quarterback position doesn’t demonstrate huge improvement.
Next up for Jefferson is a Giants game that appears to lean toward favoring the Vikings. Seeing the WR1 soar past 100 yards would go a long way in helping Minnesota to win. More importantly, there’s the potential to assuage the ongoing concern about the QB/WR connection.
Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT.
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