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Wide receiver Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings were already going to have to consider major restructuring questions regarding their roster next offseason, and circumstances could become more drastic if quarterback JJ McCarthy can’t show something before year’s end.
Despite a $36 million salary cap deficit in 2026 as of Thursday, December 4 and potentially drastic moves under center on the way, Minnesota is now beginning to face questions about the unhappiness of superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson and the potential that he might ask for a trade at some point in the coming months.
“It’s hard to imagine that they would trade Justin Jefferson, but then again, a year ago, I would have said it’s hard to imagine the Dallas Cowboys would have traded Micah Parsons, and they did,” Adam Schefter of ESPN said on “Get Up” Wednesday.
Kevin O’Connell Addressed Justin Jefferson’s Visible Frustrations
GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
That is far from a report, or even a suggestion, that Jefferson and Minnesota will actually part ways, but there have been some negative signs leading to a conversation that would have been unthinkable at this time last season when the Vikings were competing strongly for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
The franchise bet big on McCarthy and that has been a complete swing and miss to this point in the process. And the locker room hasn’t been immune from the frustration that is spreading like a contagion throughout the fan base following a 4-8 start.
Jefferson’s disillusionment has been evident to the naked eye, so much so that head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the wideout’s sideline demeanor during a press conference Wednesday.
“Yeah, he obviously wants to win football games. As I’ve mentioned before, he is as competitive as anybody I’ve ever been around,” O’Connell said. “And so he’s a leader on our team and nobody is accepting any sort of the outcomes that we’re facing right now. Regardless of the reason, regardless of the current state of where we’re at, nobody’s accepting that, and Justin certainly will never be asked to accept that.”
Jefferson is on pace for career lows across all major receiving statistical categories, save for the 2023 campaign in which he missed seven games due to a hamstring injury.
Vikings Likely to Add Competition for JJ McCarthy, Max Brosmer Next Spring
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer.
Benching McCarthy clearly isn’t a solution, at least not for the remainder of the campaign, as rookie Max Brosmer stepped in for him last weekend against the Seattle Seahawks and threw four interceptions on the way to a 26-0 loss.
Moving on from McCarthy, or at least bringing in competition from a viable veteran starter, next spring are both potential ways to placate Jefferson. Both are also on the table, per ESPN’s Bill Barnwell.
“By era-adjusted passer rating index, McCarthy’s 2025 season is the fourth worst in NFL history by a quarterback with 150 pass attempts or more,” Barnwell wrote Thursday. “If McCarthy returns from his concussion and shows signs of growth over the final month of the season, the Vikings should field competition for their starting job in camp next year. If he continues to look overmatched upon his return to the lineup, though, the Vikings might move forward with a new plan at quarterback, consigning McCarthy to a backup role after just a handful of pro starts.”
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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