What’s behind Justin Jefferson’s down year with Minnesota Vikings? | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

It was three years ago yesterday. Oh, wait. This was just 5 days ago. This is the moment that there was some lolly gagging from Justin Jefferson. And Paul Allen and I talked about this yesterday. This was not the play where the guy who caught the ball was down. That was the later interception where the guy was down and Justin Jefferson didn’t pursue. this one. Marlon Humphrey was clearly live and Justin Jefferson did not pursue him and that was that was a uh a moment that was glaring because that’s not Justin Jefferson. Um do we have the the three-year anniversary of the I thought we were going to show the three-year anniversary of the the catch of his life. That was yesterday. Oh, yeah. That was the the moment that he became a superstar. He was the AP offensive player of the year that year. And here it comes, I believe. Here it comes. Here it is. Fourth and long. Fourth and 18. Kirk Cousins dials it up and lets it fly. And how in the hell did he catch that ball? The Vikings would go on to win the game. It was a crazy day in Orchard Park. And that was the game. They flew home with the Kirko chains, shirtless. But Justin Jefferson, what a catch. One of the best catches I have ever seen in my entire life. The best catch of his career. So, we’re showing that because he saw it yesterday and he said on social media, I need get I need to get back to year three Jets. It was his third year in the NFL. This is now his sixth year in the NFL and he’s determined to get back to that. Here he is from yesterday, Michael, talking to reporters about getting back to his old self. the the big, you know, plays. Uh, of course that year I had the uh offensive play of the year. Um, you know, just uh just different moments in that season. I felt like I was just on a different level. So, uh just uh trying to work back into that, you know, the feeling of uh being out there on Sundays and uh going out there and just killing it, whoever is in front of me. Uh so just having that mentality back uh and just you know being back to my old self and look I I understand what he’s saying and you know and and I’m struggling here to get the right words because I love Justin Jefferson and I think he’s awesome and I think he can get back to that. But part of me is thinking maybe the other guys are just better now. May maybe it’s not as, you know, it’s not like we’re going to flip a switch. Maybe they’ve figured out how to defend him. Maybe three years later, three years older, three years of wear and tear. Maybe and like I have to force myself to articulate these words, but I think we at least have to account for the possibility. The possibible explanations is that guy don’t work here no more. You’re not that guy anymore. You’re not going to be that guy again. You know, and we’ve seen candles burn very brightly and then and then not. And it reminds me of what Lawrence Taylor said to Bill Parcels late in his career. Now, that’s an extreme example, but this is why I’m thinking of this. Lawrence Taylor went to Bill Parcels and he said, “Man, these these young kids are fast. What’s gotten into these young kids?” It’s like, “No, Lawrence, you’re slowing down.” Again, it’s only year six, right, for Justin Jefferson. It’s only year six. But there is I if I’m looking at all the potential explanations, one of them is the competition has gotten better. And maybe it’s because he’s not the guy he was three years ago for whatever reason. Maybe that’s the case. Maybe maybe year three Jet is significantly better than year six Jet. That that has to at least be considered as a possibility. It it can be considered, but I think his situation is just worse. his situation is worse than it was uh in year three. And I know this is this is controversial because it’s Kirk Cousins and who is ever happy with Kirk Cousins? And how many times do we hear about Kirk Cousins not delivering in prime time games? Well, Kirk Cousins delivered enough. He delivered enough where Justin Jefferson could be offensive player of the year and put up some incredible numbers. Who threw that ball on fourth and 18? And that was Kurt Cousins. So if you think about what’s happened, Cousins, the Achilles, and then you go to I mean, you had so many different quarterbacks just trying to piece it together uh when when Cousins was out. And then you go to Jar, Josh, Nick Mullins. Yeah. And then then, hey, we’re going to draft JJ McCarthy. Nope. It’s not going to be JJ McCarthy. It’s going to be Sam Darnold. Hey, we have Sam Darnold. Nope. It’s going to be back to JJ McCarthy. He’s hurt. Now we’re on the Carson Wentz. Now we’re back to JJ McCarthy. I think it’s he’s a great receiver and I think most great receivers say, “Yeah, you know, just just throw me the ball. I can make any quarterback look good, but that’s a lot of change in the last three years.” And I think it I think that’s affected him, too. And he’s being nice. He was being nice for JJ McCarthy. He’s a great player. No, he’s not. He might he might be a great He’s not a great player right now, Justin. And maybe he doesn’t know how to get you the ball the way you really want it. Maybe he doesn’t understand what you’re capable of. And he’s trying, but he’s just too green to figure out what he has in Justin Jefferson. It’s a tough situation to be in. I think he’s just as frustrated as AJ Brown, but he’s just saying it in a in a different way. Consider this, and this comes from NBC Sports Research. There’s a breakdown of all the games every week with some and I I always I find like 10, 12, 13 things that I can use at PFT. J uh Justin Jefferson is averaging 52.3 yards per game when JJ McCarthy is the Vikings starting quarterback this year. 52.3 with Carson Wentz, 95.4. I think that kind of says it all. Yep. And JJ McCarthy has six interceptions this season. He’s looking to avoid becoming the third quarterback in the last 10 years with an interception in each of his first five career games. The other two, Zack Wilson in 2021 and Deshawn Kaiser in 2017. So that’s not good company for JJ McCarthy to be in. And you’re right, he’s too nice to say anything publicly. I don’t know what’s going on privately, but boy, he’s got to be thinking, “Look at what Sam Darnold’s doing this year with Jackson Smith and Jig.” But that was me. That could be me. Should be me. Look at what Daniel Jones is doing in Indianapolis. They had him. They let him go because they weren’t willing to make the assurance to him. They they were offering him more money than what the Colts are paying him, but they wouldn’t give him the kind of assurance that he got in Indianapolis that he could win the job because they’re committed to JJ McCarthy. And I saw Jones say somewhere recently, he just figured, you know, Kevin Oonnell is going to turn JJ McCarthy into a superstar. I’m not going to win the job. And that’s really what it comes down to. Is Kevin Oonnell getting enough out of JJ McCarthy? And along the way, is Justin Jefferson, who’s in year six, is he going to think, you know what, I need to be somewhere where I know who the quarterback is. I know the quarterback is going to be there, and I know the quarterback’s going to get me the ball the way that Kirk did, the way that Sam Darnold did. And you just wonder, you’ll wonder where this leads in the offseason and what kind of work they have to do to get Justin Jefferson to buy in for another year. Yeah. And Mike, I I’m that person. I thought I bought it all the way. When I saw that that JJ McCarthy was going to the Vikings, I said, “Okay, u Kevin Oonnell will figure it out.” You know, he’s that guy. Great play caller, great play designer. Yeah, they they’ve got their quarterback. And maybe Justin Jefferson thought the same thing until uh he started playing with JJ McCarthy and and he realizes, yeah, he’s got great potential, but there’s a lot of work to do. There’s still a lot he’s a work in progress. And when you’re in year six, you’re not trying to you’re not trying to bring along a work in progress, especially when you’ve had the success that Justin Jefferson’s had. And you come from you come from that school where they’re all so competitive. I remember talking to him once, uh, Justin Jefferson, uh, at at one of the Super Bowls. He’s, as you said, he’s great. He’s great to talk to. Uh, great personality, just really, uh, a a person that’s he’s easy to like. And I said, “Wow, did you ever think that you’re at LSU and they got all, you know, they’ve got uh, you know, Chase is from there and you got you and like what were they looking at when you’re on the same team with Chase?” He was like, “Yeah, I do wonder that. Why didn’t they see me, too? Why? How do I last until the 20s?” Because he his point is I’m just as good as this guy. So, you got Chase, you’ve got Jefferson, you got Malik Neighbors, Brian Thomas Jr., they’re all competitive and they all I’m sure they all talk about what they’ve done and and so if you’re Justin Jefferson, you say, “Well, come on. Chase is getting all this attention. What about me?” Hi, it’s Mike Florio. Thanks for watching PFT on YouTube.

As Justin Jefferson aims to recapture his 2022 form, PFT looks at what’s behind the superstars struggles in 2025, debating if he has lost a step or if the situation around him has worsened. #NBCSports #NFL #ProFootballTalk #MinnesotaVikings #JustinJefferson
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What’s behind Justin Jefferson’s down year with Minnesota Vikings? | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC
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45 comments

  4. So many of the leaguea superstars not close to contending. Jefferson, Chase, Garrett, Crosby etc. Its always been the way but seems such a waste for their careers to float by

  6. I've been wondering when this conversation would crop up. Hes been sneaky low key for the last two seasons. Hoping the real JJ can come back

  13. The problem is the QB play, not Jefferson. Darnold and Cousins would start throwing to Thielen, or Addison, or Hockinson or Rudolph with enough accuracy that it kept the other teams a little less focused on Jefferson so that he could exploit the defense

  21. I like how everyone is blaming the qb but jets hasn’t been the same player since 2023. He’s played with dobbs, mullens, and hall… and you want to blame the qb. Dude isn’t as good as people think

  22. Look at his numbers. He might be putting up 1,000 yards every season but his drops are getting worse and dude just complains like dude play instead of crying like a little baby.

  27. Florio too jaded never has optimism. McCarthy first year starting give the guy a break. This is a long term project. Darnold would’ve folded against the lions 2 weeks ago

  35. 31 other teams QB’s would still get Jets the ball. JJ is the issue not jets Kirk was his QB they developed a great chemistry that’s what he wants back.

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