The Minnesota Vikings‘ WR Justin Jefferson, in a recent media interview during the training camp, expressed how the issues with Minnesota’s offense last season made his job as a WR “frustrating” and how, despite the 8-9 record last season, the conversations in the locker room were always about getting better. 

A former Offensive Player of the Year, Jefferson did not have a great 2025 season by his high standards. Frustrations were clear for both the offense and Justin Jefferson, as the team battled through injuries, whereas the receiver was not getting enough balls, yards and touchdowns.

“Yeah, it’s difficult. It’s hard. And both of y’all know, when things not going the right way, you know, when the expectations are not up to par, it gets frustrating. It don’t really hit as well. But also knowing the circumstances, also knowing that I have pretty much a rookie quarterback(J.J. McCarthy), listening to anything that goes on. Anything that I say is going to hit the media or hit the, uh, the punch line.” Justin Jefferson said on the Bent Outta Shape podcast.

Justin Jefferson shared that he was in constant communication with McCarthy, who started 10 games for the Vikings in his second season after he missed his rookie season due to a knee injury. Minnesota drafted McCarthy as the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Get The Huddle Newsletter. The day's biggest NFL stories — rivalries, matchups, expert analysis, power rankings, and insider draft news.

While Jefferson is stepping into more of a vocal leader, his numbers as a receiver saw a dip last season. He recorded the lowest career stats: receiving yards (1,048), receiving TDs(2), and yards per reception(12.5). He also averaged just 4.9 receptions per game,  7.4 receiving yards per target, and only 61.6 yards per game. 

Last season, not only did the QBs target Justin Jefferson lesser, but the quality of passes and his ability to hold on to them dropped as well.

He was targeted 141 times, a drop from 154 in 2024, and made only 84 receptions compared to 103 in 2024. This resulted in a 59.6% catch rate for 2025, much lower than the 66.9% Justin Jefferson had the season before. 

Heading into the 2026 season, the Vikings have brought in veteran QB Kyler Murray, who’s coming back from a persistent mid-foot sprain and bone issue that kept him out of 12 games in 2025.

Justin Jefferson noted that building chemistry with both J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray has been his main focus in the ongoing training camp. He highlighted McCarthy’s growth over the year alongside Murray’s throwing talent, adding that his primary goal is getting familiar and adapting to the offensive schemes that both QBs will implement.