Justin Jefferson and Tyreek Hill are on the very short list of the NFL‘s best receivers.
But when it comes to who has the bigger personality, that’s a competition the Minnesota Vikings star is more than happy to forfeit.
Justin Jefferson Is No ‘Drama Queen’
Jefferson is on national TV on Sunday night when his 5-2 Vikings host the 4-4 Indianapolis Colts.
Minnesota enters the Week 9 game as healthy favorites, but if for some reason things go sideways for the Vikings, don’t expect the kind of histrionics we occasionally see from Hill, the Miami Dolphins star who has at times lost his cool during the Dolphins’ brutal first seven games.
That’s not the only way Jefferson and Hill differ.
While Hill is often in the news for the wrong reasons, Jefferson never causes added stress for the Vikings.
Hill orchestrated a trade to Miami in 2022 to get the contract he wanted; Jefferson took a low-key approach to his new contract this offseason, and the Vikings rewarded him for it.
“I do love it here,” Jefferson said of Minneapolis on “Up & Adams” back in September. “There’s not much to do here. It’s very quiet, very low-key. I don’t really have to get in trouble and get into anything; I can just stay home, mind my own business, worry about my job, and have fun kicking butt.”
Jefferson, according to teammate Jordan Addison, is “a really humble superstar.” He works incredibly hard in practice.
He has a close relationship with third-year Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, who unlocked the best of his star receiver in their first year together. Jefferson led the NFL in catches (128) and receiving yards (1,809) in 2022 en route to NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
But you learn the most about a person’s character when things aren’t going well. His reaction to trying times is what makes Jefferson unique.
“I definitely get frustrated sometimes,” he told Kay Adams. “… Emotions are going to happen, and things aren’t going to go right. There’s always different times where I’ll get frustrated, maybe at myself, maybe at what’s going on, but I always know the cameras are on and people are watching me and people are criticizing everything I do.
“Trying not to have that ‘drama queen’ name behind me and just making sure I’m a student and a player of the game. And I’m being nice when I’m in the game and cameras are on me. I definitely get those frustrating times, for sure.”
Jefferson’s 2024 Minnesota Vikings Stats
Jefferson enters Sunday’s game as the NFL career record-holder in receiving yards per game (97.7), although he’s actually a tick off of that pace in 2024.
Still, he’s well on his way to earning his fourth Pro Bowl nod in five years. Jefferson leads the NFC in receiving yards (646 on 41 catches) and is tied for third in the conference in touchdown catches (five).
SEE MORE: Best Wide Receivers in the NFL Rankings
With 138 yards on Sunday, Jefferson would overtake Adam Thielen for fourth on the franchise career receiving yards list despite playing half as many games.
Sunday marks the third time Jefferson faces the Colts in his five-year NFL career. In his previous two games against Indianapolis, he had a combined 15 catches on 19 targets for 167 yards with one touchdown.
Jefferson’s Contract Extension Details
Injuries limited Jefferson to just 10 games in 2023, but he had done more than throughout his career to convince the Vikings to make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid players.
The two sides spent much of the 2024 offseason hammering out a deal palatable to each.
The final terms? A record-breaking extension worth $140 million over four years — all but $30 million of which was guaranteed.
Jefferson’s deal has the highest AAV ($35 million) and most fully guaranteed money ($88.7 million) for a receiver in league history. Between bonuses and base salary, Jefferson is earning $38.1 million total in cash this year, $31.9 million next year, and $25.8 million in 2026.
“This was a really cool day to be a part of,” O’Connell said when Jefferson’s deal got done, “and one that we’ve been looking forward to for a very long time.”