The Minnesota Vikings went into the 2025 season brimming with hope.
Not only was Kevin O’Connell’s squad coming off a stellar 14-3 regular season in 2024, but hope also sprang eternal that 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy would quickly grow into the No. 1 role after sitting out his rookie campaign due to a knee injury.
Minnesota’s solid 3-2 start is now a distant memory, as the team lost six of its seven games coming out of a Week 6 bye, in large part due to McCarthy’s struggles when he hasn’t been sidelined by injury.
Star wide receiver Justin Jefferson’s typically elite statistical production has unsurprisingly been part of the collateral damage. But to his credit, a player accustomed to being in the upper echelon at his position has resisted any urges to overtly criticize any specific aspect of the offense through its struggles.
Justin Jefferson Takes Team-First Approach Following Encouraging Victory
The Vikings moved to 5-8 with a convincing 31-0 home win against the Washington Commanders in Week 14. While the loss pushed Dan Quinn’s team’s record to 3-10, the shutout victory doesn’t ring hollow.
Minnesota was facing a fortified Commanders offense to open the game, one that was marking Jayden Daniels’ return from a three-game absence due to an elbow injury and also welcoming back No. 3 receiver Noah Brown after he’d missed the previous 10 contests with groin and knee injuries.
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McCarthy had a much-needed resurgent three-touchdown performance in his own return from a Week 13 absence due to a concussion, one he’d sustained during an ugly 87-yard, two-interception effort versus the Packers in Week 12.
However, Jefferson, who came into the afternoon with four sub-50-yard efforts in his previous five games and a PFSN WR Impact Score of 77.1 (C+), didn’t get in on much of the fun. The four-time All-Pro finished with two receptions for 11 yards on four targets, the latter tally a season-low figure.
Despite the nearly non-existent role, Jefferson, who Kevin Seifert of ESPN reported skipped his postgame press conference for the first time in his career following the ugly 26-0 loss to the Seahawks in Week 13, took a refreshingly different approach under better circumstances Sunday.
Asked the inevitable question regarding whether a victory where a player of his caliber plays a very minor role can be relished the same as one where he’s much more involved, Jefferson remarked that “I’d rather win and not get the ball than lose and not get the ball.”
#Vikings WR Justin Jefferson on if he can enjoy himself despite not getting the ball a lot:
“I’d rather win and not get the ball than lose and not get the ball.” pic.twitter.com/LatS9QPWhp
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) December 7, 2025
McCarthy’s improved performance may have certainly given Jefferson some fleeting reasons for optimism for what remains of the season, and in the process, helped coax the diplomatic response out of him.
While the star receiver now has just four catches for 15 yards on 10 targets in his last pair of contests, the mood around Minnesota’s locker room as a whole was naturally exponentially lighter than in the previous two games, when the Vikings were outscored by a 49-6 margin.
Could Jefferson Be on the Move Ahead of 2026 Season?
Irrespective of how the rest of the 2025 season plays out for Jefferson or the Vikings as a whole, there is a prevailing feeling that the perennial Pro Bowler would be best served by changing uniforms ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Whether a move to a contender in either conference this coming offseason ultimately unfolds may well depend on McCarthy’s continued development for what remains of the season and how the chemistry between the young signal-caller and his most talented receiver develops.
Additionally, as is the case with the potential trade of any superstar, salary will also be a consideration. Having signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension with $88.7 million fully guaranteed in June 2024, per Spotrac, Jefferson is owed $54.2 million in base salaries alone over the 2026 and 2027 seasons, his age-27 and age-28 campaigns.
