Justin Jefferson’s four-year NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings has been a storybook adventure for the talented wide receiver out of LSU.
Despite missing seven games in 2023 with a hamstring injury, Jefferson already has a remarkable 392 receptions for 5,899 yards and 30 touchdowns.
And now, his success has been validated financially with a league-record $140 million contract extension that reset the market for wide receivers.
However, Kirk Cousins now wears an Atlanta Falcons uniform, and Sam Darnold is widely expected to start the Vikings’ season opener as rookie top draft choice J.J. McCarthy learns the NFL game.
Jefferson is undeterred by the change, noting that while he and Cousins were a very successful duo, he will produce with whoever is hurling the pigskin at him.
The star declared to Yahoo Sports that he will “have a great season. It doesn’t matter who is going to throw me the ball.”
“I’m gonna have a great season. It doesn’t matter who is going to throw me the ball.”
Kirk Cousins, JJ McCarthy, Sam Darnold … don’t matter. @JJettas2 says he’ll put up the same numbers with a new QB 😤🛩 pic.twitter.com/QQvRcshirL
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 11, 2024
Jefferson admitted that he was “sad to see Kirk go” and loved “the way he carried himself and what he [did] for our team.”
And while no one expects Darnold or McCarthy to be the quarterback Cousins is this season, he said he believes he will be able to post the same numbers he’s achieved in his first four seasons.
Jefferson explained, ” I always said it doesn’t really matter who is going to be the quarterback, I’m always going to perform at a high level.”
The key, he asserted, is for him to put the confidence into the signal caller to throw him the football.
Get those “contested passes” in his direction, and Jefferson is confident he can win the battles.
