Randy Moss Offers Terrifying Advice to Justin Jefferson
In 2005, the Minnesota Vikings traded Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders after seven seasons with the franchise. Twenty years later, Moss has relayed some advice to current phenom wide receiver Justin Jefferson: leave the Twin Cities if the Vikings aren’t close to a Super Bowl.
Randy Moss told Justin Jefferson to consider leaving the Vikings, a jarring piece of advice that could shake the franchise’s future direction.
Moss told his pals at ESPN offhandedly last weekend that, if he were Jefferson, he would not wait for the quarterback position to stabilize.
Randy Moss Urges Justin Jefferson to Consider Leaving Vikings
The sentence above is just horrible.
Moss: I Wouldn’t Stick Around if It Takes Too Long
Before Week 14, Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy had struggled to the utmost, aside from a few ultra-clutch moments in his first season as a starter. McCarthy’s teammate, Max Brosmer, also played woefully in Week 13.
So, the masses spent all last week wondering if Jefferson might eventually want out of Minnesota. Moss did nothing to tame those fears.
Former NFLer Alex Smith asked Moss on ESPN airwaves late last week if Jefferson should stick around, should McCarthy’s development take longer than expected, and Moss replied to Smith, “I wouldn’t. I would not.”
Most might’ve expected Moss to tell Jefferson to “give it a time.” He did not.
Moss … of All People … Would Know
To reiterate, this exact scenario happened to Moss two decades ago, and at the time, he had a productive quarterback named Daunte Culpepper. Moss’ relationship with Minnesota’s then-front office soured, and the Vikings traded him to the Raiders for a horrible haul.
It remains one of the worst trades in Vikings history, fetching the franchise Troy Williamson, a wide receiver, and Napoleon Harris, a linebacker.
Moss later ended up in New England, broke records, and almost won a Super Bowl for his troubles. He apparently enjoyed that post-Minnesota path and has now endorsed it for Jefferson.
Jefferson’s Recent Frustration
Amid the dreadful quarterback play, Jefferson has been seen seething and upset on the sidelines. Before last weekend, the Vikings lost embarrassingly at Green Bay and Seattle, prompting visible disgruntlement from Jefferson.
Thankfully, he and his team responded on Sunday, bashing the Washington Commanders by 31 points. It pumped the brakes on all things Jefferson melancholy.
Turning the Page in Week 14?
This Moss-Jefferson storyline is really just a coded talking point about J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy posted mostly dreadful outings through 13 weeks of 2025, his first season as a starter, nudging the narrative to contemplate what Minnesota might do next year at quarterback if he doesn’t improve. Trading for players like Mac Jones and Kyler Murray entered the chat. Hot seats for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell allegedly grew warmer.
But against Washington, McCarthy cooked. Thoroughly cooked. He appeared to have a lightbulb moment, delivering 3 touchdowns to no turnovers in his single best game as a pro — by leaps and bounds.
Suppose McCarthy strings a few more productive games together before the end of the season. The Jefferson trade talker will fall by the wayside, and Moss’ advice will become irrelevant.
Jefferson to the Bills?
BuffaLowDown‘s Michael Haney wrote last weekend about Jefferson to the Bills via trade: “Since trading away Stefon Diggs back in 2024, the Buffalo Bills have been without a clear top wide receiver. Attempts to find an answer in the draft or free agency have fallen short, limiting the ceiling of the offense.”
“This offseason, Buffalo may have a chance to change that. Recently, rumors have been brewing about the potential of Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson requesting a trade. His frustration around his team’s quarterback situation seems to be growing, leading experts to speculate about him being dealt in the coming months.”
Diggs in Buffalo worked quite well for a few seasons.
Haney added, “It’s hard to imagine the Vikings trading Jefferson away, but they would have a long list of suitors if they decided to do so. The Bills should do whatever it takes to vault themselves to the top of that list.”
Haney then claimed two 1st-Rounders to Minnesota via trade would do the trick: “The first trade package is the most likely option. With a general lack of depth on their roster, the Bills don’t have many players that they could offer the Vikings in return for Jefferson. So, they may turn to draft capital instead.”
Here’s to hoping Jefferson simply disregards Moss altogether.
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