Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson was slowed by a hamstring injury this past season, but when he was healthy, he was still arguably the NFL’s best player at his position.
While he had a mere total of 1,074 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games, he averaged 107.4 receiving yards per game, which was second to only Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins.
In fact, he holds the highest career receiving yards per game average in league history, per NFL on CBS.
An elite list 💫 pic.com/zUEBa9Lj23
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) May 9, 2024
Coming into the 2023 season, some thought Jefferson was poised to break the NFL’s single-season record for receiving yards, which was established in 2012 by Calvin Johnson.
But between Jefferson’s injury and Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins tearing his Achilles at midseason, Jefferson’s shot at making history, not to mention the Vikings’ playoff hopes, faded away.
However, in last month’s draft, they lucked out by taking University of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
If McCarthy will be as good as his proponents in the media think he can be, Jefferson could very well continue to challenge Johnson’s record.
At the very least, Minnesota should remain in the hunt for a playoff spot if they remain relatively healthy.
On the other hand, the rest of the NFC and particularly the NFC North have gotten stronger, so it could take them an all-hands-on-deck effort to return to the postseason after missing it this past season.
Luckily, Jefferson is the type of game-breaking player who could get them there by going off individually during the final games of the regular season.
