Getty
Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson and Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold
Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson had a down year by every standard in 2025 amid QB struggles.
In the first 5 years of his career, you could set your clock to Jefferson notching 1,400 yards at the minimum when healthy. 2025 was a different story.
In 2025, Jefferson had to wait until Week 18 just to break the century mark. This was a huge disappointment for him and fans everywhere that know the receiver he is.
However, there is one unsung part of his game that developed in the middle of the chaos. Pro Football Focus pointed this out for us recently.
Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Was the Best in the NFL at One Route in 2025
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 04: Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
According to PFF‘s data, Justin Jefferson was a monster in the screen-game in 2025. We usually think of “Jettas” as a killer in the intermediate game, and he is. But last season, he was killer behind the line of scrimmage as well. PFF explained why.
“Justin Jefferson had a frustrating year, just barely maintaining his streak of six 1,000-yard seasons to start his career. While it felt like much of Jefferson’s grievances were a consequence of bad quarterback play and totally beyond his control, one area where he could heavily influence the outcome was on screen passes.
Jefferson caught all 20 screen pass targets, turning them into 7.8-yard gains on average. It’s an underrated part of his game, which he has really developed over the past two seasons. ”
The Vikings could use this information going forward. It could be tough to want to take an elite router runner downfield away from that. However, if the Vikings are to roll with McCarthy in 2026, they’re going to want to feed Jefferson easy targets. That points get emphasized if Jefferson is averaging 8 yards per reception on these concepts.
Minnesota Receives Yet Another Aaron Rodgers Signing Prediction
GettyPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 12: Aaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts in the fourth quarter of an NFL wild card playoff game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium on January 12, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
This has been a huge rumor for a years now. The way was paved by Brett Favre, who played forever with the Packers, made a pit stop with the Jets, and ended with the Vikings. Minnesota had the opportunity to replicate this. However, they denied Aaron Rodgers’ pitch to play for cheap to take a shot at the Lombardi.
Well, the stars may be aligning once again for Rodgers to join forces with the Vikings. Minnesota needs QB help, and Aaron Rodgers needs a contract.
Mike Moraitis of The Sporting News shared a strong take regarding Minnesota potentially coming to an agreement with the former Packer.
“Head coach Kevin O’Connell almost certainly has an increased sense of urgency after failing to make the playoffs last season. Acquiring Rodgers and starting him over McCarthy would give the Vikings a better chance to win.
If Rodgers was able to win 10 games with the Steelers last season, it’s conceivable he could win even more with a better team.”
While McCarthy did prove to be better in his final games of 2025, it’s still a huge gamble for KOC to put his job in the hands of the young kid. Bringing Rodgers in wouldn’t really alter the career trajectory of McCarthy, so he could still be the long-term vision for Minnesota. It’s fair to say McCarthy wasn’t even ready to play last season.
Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane
More Heavy on Vikings
Loading more stories