Justin Jefferson Gets Dragged into Bizarre Feud
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson did absolutely nothing to partake, but the 26-year-old found himself caught in the crossfire this week of a strange beef between former NFLer Leonard Fournette and ex-coach Jay Gruden.
Gruden claimed he urged the Jacksonville Jaguars to draft Jefferson in 2020, but they did not listen.
Jacksonville’s Draft Regret Apparently Still Follows the Jefferson Conversation
Fournette Cooks Gruden
Fournette said about Gruden on the 4th and South podcast, “We didn’t see eye to eye at all. To me, he was somebody that was kind of hard to read. I’m just being real; he’s a fu*king ashole. To do all that and to find out afterward, years later, that he didn’t want me there, that’s kind of… that’s a sh*tty situation.”
“People gotta understand that business, there’s so many fake people, and it’s so hard to find certain coaches to be real, and they do have them in there, but it is hard as hell to find them.”
Fournette last played in the NFL in 2023.
He continued, “And I just think, based on our relationship, by me coming in that year, and yeah, I got cut, was that 2019 or 2020. Yeah, 2020. I came here, did everything right, and I think I just feel like he kind of faked it with me the whole way, meaning, ‘Lenny, you’re doing everything right, da da da da. You know you’re the best back we got.'”
Gruden: Well, I Wanted JJets
Gruden, who served as the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator in 2020, the season mentioned by Fournette, found a tweet detailing Fournette’s thoughts and retweeted, “Damn. Leonard. If anyone listened to me, we would of taken Justin Jefferson with one of our two first round picks :).”
Instead, and evidently contrary to what Gruden recommended at the time, Jacksonville drafted cornerback C.J. Henderson and defensive tackle K’Lavon Chaisson during that draft, two men who turned out to be mid-level contributors and nowhere near approaching Jefferson’s tier of stardom.
Gruden lasted just one season in Jacksonville, was hired by the Los Angeles Rams as a consultant in 2022, and has been left for dead in NFL-speak since. He’s mostly known for engaging in Twitter (X) feuds these days, so his tweet about Fournette and Jefferson was on brand.
A Bizarre Clapback
About the tweet … it also didn’t make much sense. Fournette criticized Gruden for saying one thing and doing another—basically, claiming his personality is unkind and inhospitable.
Gruden’s response? “I would’ve drafted Justin Jefferson.”
What merit does the rebuttal have? Was he hoping to prove that he was even more of a jerk? If so, mission accomplished. One might think Gruden would use the opportunity to tell his side of the story, clear his name, or settle the beef with Fournette.
Instead, Gruden strangely mentioned his draft recommendation for Jefferson. Who cares?
Black and Teal‘s Carlos Sanchez noted on the new beef, “Jay Gruden was one and done with the Jaguars. He was hired in 2020 to kickstart the Jaguars offense, but his unit ranked 30th in points scored and 28th in total yards. Granted, he didn’t have much talent to work with. Couple that with the fact that Gardner Minshew regressed after an encouraging rookie campaign, and it’s easy to see why he came up short.”
“That said, Gruden played a role in Jacksonville’s 1-15 record that year, so he most definitely deserved to get the boot. Nevertheless, it was still baffling to see the Jags move on from Playoff Lenny even though he was still on his rookie deal. Fast forward to 2026, and Fournette has opened up about the reason that led to his departure from Jacksonville.”
Gruden Right if Telling the Truth
On the other hand, if Gruden is telling the truth, drafting Jefferson, indeed, would’ve been the wiser choice for the Jaguars — or any team, besides the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020, who rightly picked Joe Burrow at No. 1.
Jefferson is forging a path to the Hall of Fame and is the face of the Vikings franchise. It’s pretty convenient to say, “I would’ve picked Jefferson” six years later, but if Gruden isn’t lying, well, he was right.
You can follow Gruden and all his zany Twitter takes here. If you enjoy the NFL in Jerry Springer mode, there’s no better Twitter page from a former coach’s standpoint.
The Jaguars open the 2026 regular season at home against the Cleveland Browns in 15 weeks.
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