Second-year Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy’s struggles against the Chicago Bears were on full display Monday night, but his poor performance also dragged down one of the best wide receivers in football, Justin Jefferson.
As the young quarterback looked raw and out of his league in his debut after missing his true rookie season with an injury, Jefferson was rendered nearly invisible in the Vikings’ offense for most of the game.
Why Is Justin Jefferson Having a Historically Quiet Game?
Through the first half, Jefferson was not getting a chance to make plays. The star receiver had just one catch on two targets for four receiving yards. As Underdog NFL noted, Jefferson has never had fewer than 14 receiving yards in a game during his career.
Justin Jefferson at halftime:
2 targets
1 reception
4 receiving yards
He’s never had fewer than 14 receiving yards in a game.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) September 9, 2025
Unfortunately for the Vikings, things only got worse.
When McCarthy targeted Jefferson early in the third quarter, the play went sideways quickly. McCarthy threw a pick-six on a poorly thrown ball intended for Jefferson, leading analyst Dov Kleiman to post, “JJ MCCARTHY PICK SIX OH BOY…”
JJ MCCARTHY PICK SIX
OH BOY…pic.twitter.com/UzlNx4wWBc
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 9, 2025
Fans on social media were quick to place the blame for Jefferson’s quiet night directly on his rookie quarterback.
RELATED: ‘J.J. McCarthy Is Awful’ — NFL Fans React As Vikings QB Struggles Early vs. Bears on MNF
Another fan echoed that sentiment, stating, “It’s obviously because of the quarterback what did everyone expect.”
It’s obviously because of the quarterback what did everyone expect 🤣
— Monet✨ (@xomonet__) September 9, 2025
Some fans even questioned his NFL potential, with one bluntly asking, “Why did they think a handoff merchant could be a franchise QB?”
Why did they think a handoff merchant could be a franchise QB
— ً (@nolimit__EV) September 9, 2025
When it came to explaining why Jefferson wasn’t getting his catches, another poster didn’t hold back, saying, “His quarterback is trash what do you expect?”
His quarterback is trash what do you expect
— WinsandLosses💰 (@winsand_losses) September 9, 2025
It was a rough night all around for the Minnesota offense. While the team’s defense kept them in the game, it wasn’t until late into the fourth quarter that the Vikings found the endzone. Jefferson finally started to look better, catching a 13-yard touchdown pass.
An Aaron Jones rushing score and two-point conversion finally gave Minnesota its first lead of the night. Jefferson has caught four passes for 44 yards and one touchdown as of publication.
