Justin Jefferson’s numbers have gone from bad to worse, and the Vikings are running out of time to figure out why.
The wideout’s 2025 season already looked like a down year by his standards. He finished with a career-low 1,048 receiving yards, along with a career-low 12.5 yards per catch, 47 receiving first downs, 4.9 catches per game and 61.6 receiving yards per game. But heading into Week 9 of 2026, Jefferson’s production has slipped even further.
So far this season, Jefferson has only 335 receiving yards. He’s averaging 12.0 yards per catch, 17 receiving first downs, 4.7 catches per game and 55.8 receiving yards per game. Every one of those marks is below what he posted last year.
That leaves the Vikings with the same question they’ve been wrestling with for two seasons: is Jefferson simply not playing at the same level, or have the quarterbacks around him failed to get him the ball?
Monday night against the Bills could offer a clearer answer. Carson Wentz is set to start in place of Kyler Murray, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Jefferson’s biggest performance this season came in Week 1. He had only two catches for 11 yards while Murray was still in the game, then exploded for six catches, 81 yards and two touchdowns after Wentz took over when Murray left with a concussion.
That wasn’t a one-off, either. Jefferson’s best stretch last year also came with Wentz throwing to him.
In the five games Wentz started in 2025, Jefferson averaged 95.4 yards per game. In the 12 games started by J.J.
McCarthy and Max Brosmer, that number dropped to 47.6.
If Wentz and Jefferson put together another big night, it could push Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell toward making Wentz the quarterback going forward. If the connection still doesn’t click, the Vikings may decide Tuesday morning that it’s time to look for help at quarterback before the trade deadline.
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