Justin Jefferson isn’t backing away from the label.
Heading into his seventh NFL season, the Vikings star made it clear he still sees himself at the top of the receiver hierarchy, even after a frustrating 2025 campaign for both him and Minnesota’s offense. Asked Thursday whether he still believes he’s the best receiver in the league, Michael Silver of The Athletic reported Jefferson’s response: “Not yet. But they will (know) after this year -I’ll tell you that.”
That confidence comes with plenty of production behind it. Since entering the league in 2020 as the No. 22 overall pick, Jefferson has put together a résumé that stacks up with anyone’s. He has played in 93% of all Vikings games since then, and his career totals sit at 579 catches, 8,480 yards and 42 touchdowns.
Still, 2025 was a rough stretch. The Vikings managed just 20.2 points per game, which ranked 26th in the NFL, and Jefferson’s season was viewed as a disappointment by his standards. Even so, he still topped 1,000 receiving yards and averaged 12.5 yards per reception.
That’s part of why his comments matter. Jefferson used to be seen as a top-three receiver at minimum, but that standing has started to slip in some people’s minds. He believes the 2026 season will change that conversation.
The Vikings are also hoping a new quarterback situation helps everything click. J.J.
McCarthy, after a poor 2025 season, has been replaced by Kyler Murray, who spent seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Murray, the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, had his own uneven final year in Arizona, starting only five games and posting a 47.2 QB rating.
Now Murray gets to throw to Jefferson, who should be the best receiver he’s played with in quite some time, maybe ever. Minnesota also has Jordan Addison as a deep threat and added Jauan Jenning in free agency.
With that mix, the Vikings look built to make a run in what’s shaping up to be a crowded NFC North. All four teams have a real path to the playoffs.
In Other News...
Vikings Have 3 Players Running Out Of Chances Fast
The Vikings second preseason game did more to sharpen the picture than soften it, and not in the way the coaching staff would have preferred. Against Baltimore, Minnesota got another look at a few players fighting to stick, and the returns were uneven enough to raise real questions about how soon they can be trusted in regular-season roles.
Michael Jurgens had a rough night at center, Max Brosmer struggled at quarterback and threw an interception, and first-round pick Caleb Banks still has not shown he is ready to help right away. There is still time left in the preseason for Minnesota to sort through the depth chart, but for these three, the margin for error is starting to shrink. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Suddenly Have A Bigger J.J. McCarthy Problem Than Expected
The Vikings preseason has already raised more than a few questions, and J.J. McCarthy has been at the center of them. After what was supposed to be a key stretch for the young quarterbacks development, the early returns have prompted some concern about whether he has taken the kind of step Minnesota wanted to see, especially with the final preseason game arriving before the August 30 roster cut-down deadline.
There is plenty else hanging over the roster, too, from a thin edge rusher group behind Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel to the reality that veteran help at that spot is not exactly sitting around in free agency. Brian Flores ongoing discrimination lawsuit also remains part of the backdrop as the team moves toward its final exhibition game, but the bigger issue for the Vikings may be whether McCarthys preseason has left them with more uncertainty at quarterback than they expected. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Roster Crunch Could Turn Unexpected Bubble Names Into Trade Chips
The Vikings are heading into the roster cut deadline with more decisions than usual, and that has turned a few familiar bubble names into possible trade discussion points. Zavier Scott has flashed enough in camp and preseason work to get attention as a depth back, while Jeshaun Jones has drawn interest as a receiver with upside, and J.J. McCarthy remains the most notable name of the three simply because of where he stands in Minnesotas quarterback picture.
With the team needing to get to 53 players, any trade talk around that group is less about blockbuster moves than about value management. A player who might not make the final roster could still have enough recent performance, contract control, or positional appeal to bring something back before the Vikings have to make the hard call, and that is what makes this deadline worth watching from Minnesotas side. [Read more 🡒]