Justin Jefferson got a taste of the old magic again at Ravens-Vikings joint practice, and it came on a play that looked built for exactly this kind of receiver.
During a two-minute drill to close the session, Kyler Murray dropped a perfect deep ball into the corner, and Jefferson slipped through a double team for a touchdown. Alec Lewis of The Athletic wrote on X, “Vikings running a 2-minute drill to end this joint practice against the Ravens, and Kyler Murray placed a perfect ball to Justin Jefferson from a muddy pocket.
Justin was doing the Griddy. Easily the most positive moment from the offensive side.”
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert added on X, “Rare emotion from Kyler Murray, who arced a deep pass into the corner and watched as Justin Jefferson broke through a double team for a touchdown. Murray ran all the way to the end zone to celebrate.”
The throw and the finish sparked the whole offense. Lewis also reported on X that J.J. McCarthy then hit Myles Price on a deep ball over the middle for a second straight touchdown, giving the drill a strong ending and setting off big celebrations on the sideline.
For Jefferson, the moment mattered because it looked like the version of himself that can take over games. He had already shown plenty of personality away from the field, climbing atop the broadcast table at WWE’s SummerSlam at U.S.
Bank Stadium to fire up the home crowd before the Night 2 main event. That same energy showed up in practice once the ball went his way.
It also comes at a key time for Jefferson’s outlook entering the 2026 NFL season. He played all 17 games in 2025 but finished with 84 catches for 1,048 yards and just two touchdowns, with McCarthy’s inconsistency and accuracy issues limiting what the offense could become. With Murray now in place as the starting quarterback, Jefferson has a real chance to move back toward the top of the wide receiver conversation.
In Other News...
Vikings 53 Man Roster Battle Just Got Tougher At Key Spots
With the NFL cutdown deadline looming on Aug. 30, the Vikings are using every snap of the final stretch to sort out a roster that still has a few moving parts. Joint practices and the preseason game against the Ravens are giving the staff one last look at depth across several spots, and the projection of Minnesotas 53-man group reflects that reality, with recent practice work and game tape helping shape the picture at quarterback, receiver, center and on defense.
Some areas look steadier than others, but the middle of the roster is where the pressure is building. There are still questions at center and safety, and those spots can ripple through the rest of the roster if the Vikings decide they need more insurance. For a team trying to get through the final preseason evaluation cleanly, the next few days could be just as important for what they reveal as for what they settle. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Just Added More Intrigue To Their Unsettled Center Battle
The Vikings have added another name to an already unsettled interior offensive line mix, signing Joshua Gray as the club keeps sorting out its options up front. Gray brings experience at guard and is expected to give Minnesota some added depth at both center and guard, which fits the kind of versatile move teams make when they are still trying to settle the middle of the line.
Gray arrives with NFL stops in Atlanta and Carolina on his resume, along with a college career at Oregon State that gave him a chance to show he could handle multiple spots. To make room for him, Minnesota moved on from defensive lineman Eric Johnson II, a roster shuffle that adds a little more movement to the conversation around how the Vikings plan to finish shaping the interior of the offensive line. [Read more 🡒]