Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Signature performance in win
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Jefferson secured all seven targets for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the Vikings' 42-21 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
Jefferson finished just a reception and receiving yard shy of tying Jordan Addison for the team lead in both categories, but he enjoyed a highly efficient afternoon during which he finished with his third-highest receiving yardage total of the campaign. Jefferson also crossed the goal line for the first time since Week 7 with 12- and 52-yard touchdown grabs in the second and third quarters, respectively. The standout receiver has at least 81 receiving yards in three of the last four games heading into a Week 15 home divisional clash against the Bears on Monday night, Dec. 16.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Makes history in Sunday's win
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Jefferson caught seven of nine targets for 99 yards in Sunday's 23-22 win over the Cardinals.
Arizona's pass rush sacked Sam Darnold five times on the day, and that pressure kept the QB from finding his top receiver much in the first half. Jefferson came up big down the stretch though as the Vikings completed a comeback from a 19-6 deficit. The fifth-year wideout blew past the 1,000-yard mark in the process, becoming just the fourth player in NFL history to reach that milestone in each of his first five seasons -- a club that includes former Minnesota star Randy Moss, as well as A.J. Green and Mike Evans. Jefferson has gone four straight games without putting up 100 yards and six straight without getting into the end zone, droughts he'll look to break in Week 14 against the Falcons.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Quiet in OT win
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Jefferson recorded two receptions on five targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 30-27 overtime win against the Bears.
Sam Darnold ripped through the Chicago secondary to record seven completions of at least 20 yards, making Jefferson's line even more disappointing. He did have a 40-yard touchdown nullified late in the fourth quarter by offensive pass interference on an apparent pick play. Jefferson has now failed to reach 100 receiving yards in three consecutive contests.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Leading receiver in win
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Jefferson brought in six of eight targets for 81 yards in Sunday's 23-13 win over the Titans.
Jefferson led the Vikings in all receiving categories as he usually does, but he was left scoreless after both of Sam Darnold's passing touchdowns went to a pair of running backs. It was still a solid fantasy effort from Jefferson, who now has 59 receptions for 912 yards and five touchdowns through 10 contests. The superstar wideout is a clear-cut WR1 for Week 12 when Minnesota visits Chicago next Sunday.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Modest performance against Jags
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Jefferson recorded five receptions on nine targets for 48 yards in Sunday's 12-7 win over the Jaguars.
Jefferson tied for the team lead with nine targets, a mark he's now hit in three consecutive games. While opportunity wasn't an issue, Sam Darnold's accuracy was, as three of his passes to Jefferson were picked off. Darnold also targeted Jefferson primarily in short areas of the field, limiting him to a long gain of just 15 yards. While it was a down performance, Jefferson entered Sunday having topped 80 receiving yards in all but one contest for the season, and he should be projected to bounce back in Week 11 against the Titans.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Top DFS Play
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Ja'Marr Chase is playing on Thursday, CeeDee Lamb lost his QB, and Nico Collins is returning from an extended absence. That makes Justin Jefferson the pretty clear top option in cash games. It doesn't hurt that his opponent has allowed the third-most Fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Leading receiver on SNF
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Jefferson hauled in seven of nine targets for 137 yards while completing his only pass attempt for 22 yards in Sunday's 21-13 win over the Colts.
Jefferson posted his usual WR1 stat line in a winning effort, but he also contributed 22 passing yards on a successful trick play. The superstar wideout upped his season line to 67-783-5 through eight starts, showing little dropoff with new starter Sam Darnold this season. Jefferson remains a must-start asset in all fantasy formats heading into a positive matchup against the Jaguars next Sunday.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Finds end zone in win
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Jefferson secured six of eight targets for 85 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 31-29 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Jefferson was in the customary position of leading the Vikings in receptions, receiving yards and targets, and he was able to record his fourth touchdown in as many games to open the season via a 14-yard grab with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter. The star wideout now has back-to-back eight-target games and at least 81 receiving yards in three straight contests heading into a Week 5 matchup against the Jets in London.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: No concern about hand injury
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Head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that the Vikings have no concern about Jefferson's availability for Sunday's game against the Packers after the receiver jammed a finger on his right hand in a Week 3 win over the Texans, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The jammed finger may have contributed to the drop that Jefferson had on one of his two targets in the second half of the 34-7 win over the Texans, though he produced well enough in the first two quarters (six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown on six targets) to satisfy fantasy managers. While Jefferson was sent for X-rays after the game, the scans revealed no fractures to any of his fingers. He may be dealing with some discomfort, but the issue shouldn't affect his playing time and usage in Week 4.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Avoids final injury report
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Jefferson (quadriceps) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against Houston, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
As promised by the man himself, Jefferson will be out there Sunday as the Vikings try for a surprising 3-0 start. Fellow wideout Jordan Addison (ankle) has been ruled out, but coach Kevin O'Connell told Goessling on Friday that Addison should have a good chance to return Week 4 against Green Bay.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: No concern for Week 3 availability
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Jefferson (quadricep) remained a limited participant in practice Thursday for the second day in a row, but he said afterward that he "for sure" plans to play Sunday against the Texans, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
Jefferson is tending to a bruised right quad in the aftermath of Sunday's win over the 49ers, but he said his body feels "great," and he's continuing to work with the Minnesota training staff to ensure he's in optimal condition by the weekend. A blowout win over the Giants in Week 2 and the injury in Week 2 have played a part in limiting Jefferson to six and seven targets in those respective contests, but he still ranks in the top five in the NFL in both receiving yards (192) and receiving touchdowns (two) through the first two weeks of the season.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Limited again Thursday
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Jefferson (quadriceps) was a limited practice participant Thursday.
Jefferson maintained his activity level from Wednesday's session as he tends to the bruised right quadriceps that he picked up late in the third quarter of this past Sunday's win against the 49ers. Both the wide receiver and coach Kevin O'Connell have expressed optimism in the meantime that the injury isn't serious, but Jefferson now has just one more session this week to prove his health ahead the weekend. In the end, Jefferson appears destined to have a designation for Sunday's game versus the Texans.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Logs limited practice Wednesday
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Jefferson (quadricep) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday.
Meanwhile, fellow wide receiver Jordan Addison didn't practice at all, instead rehabbing his sore right ankle on a side field. Head coach Kevin O'Connell told Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune earlier Wednesday that the Vikings are hopeful Jefferson will be able to ramp up his activity level as the week goes on, but the quad contusion that he suffered this past Sunday against the 49ers may result in him carrying a designation for a Week 3 matchup with the Texans.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Goes through walkthrough
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Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that Jefferson (quadricep) was able to go through the team's walk-through practice, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
O'Connell has called Jefferson "day-to-day" due to a right quad bruise sustained during the Vikings' win over the 49ers in Week 2. Barring any setbacks in practice, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com notes that the star wide receiver seems to be trending in the right direction to play Sunday versus the Texans. Meanwhile, O'Connell said No. 2 wide receiver Jordan Addison (ankle) is "still in that day-to-day world."
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Exits Sunday's game
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Jefferson left Sunday's game against the 49ers due to a leg injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Jefferson remained on the turf for a spell before making his way to the sideline tent near the end of the third quarter. He then went to the locker room. Prior to his exit, Jefferson recorded four catches (on seven targets) for 133 yards and one touchdown, a line fueled by a 97-yard score.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Unlikely to suit up
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Jefferson and most other starters aren't expected to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Browns, Mark Craig of The Star Tribune reports.
It sounds like the Vikings will use fewer key players than they did in their preseason opener, although Jefferson was also held out for that one. He's set to open the season with Sam Darnold as his starting QB after J.J. McCarthy's season-ending meniscus surgery put an end to any thoughts of a job battle.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Not expected to suit up Saturday
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Coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that Jefferson likely won't take the field during Saturday's preseason game against the Raiders.
Jefferson is fully healthy, per Alec Lewis of The Athletic, but with all he's proven in his excellent career, there Vikings simply believe there's no need to expose him to unnecessary game reps. Sam Darnold is slated to start Saturday's exhibition contest, with 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy also in line to receive notable reps, but neither is expected to yet have an opportunity to demonstrate their chemistry with the Vikings' No. 1 receiver.
Jefferson reached agreement with the Vikings on Monday on a four-year contract extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Schefter and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network both report Jefferson's deal as a four-year, $140 million contract with $110 million guaranteed, giving the wideout the new record for average annual value ($35 million) among non-quarterbacks. He'll turn 25 years old later this month and already has 5,899 career receiving yards, with his average of 98.3 per game easily being the all-time record (Calvin Johnson is second at 86.1). Jefferson will enter the 2024 season without Kirk Cousins as his quarterback for the first time, instead catching passes from 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy and/or Sam Darnold.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Absent for start of OTAs
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Jefferson is not present for the start of OTAs on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Jefferson is amid contract negotiations with Minnesota, so it won't be surprising if he doesn't show up for voluntary workouts with the team. The Vikings' mandatory minicamp won't begin until June 4, at which point Jefferson will incur fines if he isn't in attendance. The star wideout currently is heading into the final year of his rookie contract with a fifth-year option that will pay him $19.7 million. In just 10 games last season, Jefferson still managed to surpass 1,000 receiving yards, his fourth straight such campaign to begin his NFL career. His value to Minnesota's offense and his help in the development of rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy, are impossible to overstate, so the team has every incentive to agree to a new long-term extension with haste.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Stellar performance to end season
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Jefferson brought in 12 of 14 targets for 192 yards and a touchdown and rushed once for minus-12 yards in the Vikings' 30-20 loss the Lions on Sunday.
The Vikings were eliminated from postseason contention with the loss, but Jefferson certainly finished off the season in grand fashion. The ultra-talented wideout terrorized the Lions secondary throughout the afternoon, comfortably leading Minnesota in receptions, receiving yards and targets while also recording a nifty 38-yard touchdown grab. Jefferson's totals were also season highs across the board, and with the prolific afternoon, he finishes the season with 1,074 receiving yards in only 10 games despite having played with four different quarterbacks.
