The Minnesota Vikings will not be a playoff team this season. Quarterback play has been a big problem for the Vikings this season. Former first-rounder J.J. McCarthy dealt with injuries and inconsistency, but his star wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, still believes in him going forward.
Justin Jefferson Would ‘Love to Have’ McCarthy Back as QB1 in 2026
Entering Week 18, the team has an 8-8 record and will end their 2025 season with a matchup against the Green Bay Packers. The struggles at quarterback are no surprise, given that they have fielded three different ones in 2025 thanks to McCarthy’s injuries.
Jefferson is one of the best receivers in the league, but he’s on pace to have his worst season this year.
Despite starting in every game for the Vikings and playing 95% of offensive snaps, the veteran has yet to reach the 1,000-yard mark. Jefferson has never finished a season with fewer than 1,000 yards, even when he missed seven games in the 2023 season.
It would be easy to imagine Jefferson being frustrated with his numbers dipping and missing the playoffs. However, the star recently made his feelings about McCarthy clear.
“[But] of course I would love for him (McCarthy) to be here. Of course I would love for him to be the quarterback. Especially off this year,” Jefferson explained. “I feel like he needs to show everybody and prove to everybody that he is that top-tier quarterback. So I would love to have him. I would love to work with him and show everybody that he is that No. 1 guy.”
In 2025, McCarthy threw for 1,450 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The first-year starter has also rushed for 174 yards and four scores while completing just over 57% of his passes.
PFSN’s QB Impact ranking gives McCarthy a 61.9 grade, which ranks 40th out of 48 qualified passers.
Oh Boy: Vikings WR Justin Jefferson speaks on if he wants JJ McCarthy to be the team’s QB1 next season.
“That’s not my job… eliminating those habits that he had that we felt that hindered him throughout the season.”
The body language…
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 2, 2026
It should help McCarthy’s confidence that he has the public backing of his star receiver. Jefferson did explain, though, that everybody on the team needs to be better next season.
“I had to learn myself how to be patient how to not really show my emotions, to lead as a captain of this team,” Jefferson said. “And there are definitely things I can take from this year going forward. But I would say going forward, requiring more for everybody. Having this type of season, we ain’t trying to have this type of season again.”
Vikings’ Elite Defense Unable to Make Up for Inept Offense
The 2025 season will go down as a disappointing one because the Vikings have a good enough defense to contend.
PFSN’s Defense Impact ranking gives the Vikings an 87.1 grade, which is the fifth-best mark in the league. However, the team has the 28th-ranked offense from PFSN’s Offense Impact ranking.
The hope is that McCarthy will take a step forward in his second year as a starter. The Michigan product has also missed time due to injuries in 2025, so it will be interesting to see if there’s improvement after he has a full offseason.
The Vikings will end their 2025 season against the Packers in Week 18.
