Minnesota Vikings veteran wide receiver Justin Jefferson has had a tough season so far, and he was off to a slow start against the Detroit Lions on Christmas.
Jefferson has been somewhat involved in the Vikings’ offense behind rookie quarterback Max Brosmer, but has failed to make the usual level of impact.
What’s Happening With Vikings WR Justin Jefferson?
Minnesota held a 7-0 lead late in the second quarter over the Lions and was attempting to keep Detroit out of the end zone. At this point, Jefferson does not appear to be injured at all. Detroit, though, tied the game late in the first half on a Jared Goff touchdown pass, making it 7-7 at halftime.
In the first half, he was targeted by Brosmer three times and had two catches for 14 yards and no touchdowns to this point. The Vikings scored their touchdown when running back Aaron Jones Sr. blasted through an attempted tackle by a Lions defender and soared into the end zone.
One they’ll never forget 💜 pic.twitter.com/GZy0j8oRwe
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 25, 2025
Jones then went into the stands, albeit not like he did when playing for the Green Bay Packers, and could do the “Lambeau Leap.” But Jones had to leave the game later on with a leg injury. His status entering the second half was not known.
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Jefferson, though, probably wouldn’t mind scoring a touchdown as the Vikings look to give their fans, who showed up in a big way for Minnesota’s “White-Out” game against Detroit, something to cheer about on Thursday.
According to the PFSN NFL WR Impact metrics, Jefferson has a 72.6 impact score and grades out to a C. Heading into the Christmas Day matchup with Detroit, Jefferson has 72 catches for 917 yards and two touchdown catches. He’s averaging 12.7 yards per catch on the season.
With Jones having to leave the game, Jefferson might be called upon more as the game rolls along. Jefferson was a first-round draft pick (No. 22 overall) out of LSU by Minnesota in the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s played his entire five-plus NFL seasons for the Vikings.
Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell sure would like to see his Vikings pull off what might be considered an upset over the Lions on Christmas Day. Jefferson can help make that come true with some big catches down the stretch.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
