Kevin SeifertDec 4, 2025, 05:33 PM ETCloseKevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.Follow on X
EAGAN, Minn. — With his team mired in a 4-8 record, Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson is facing yet another year without making a playoff run.
That realization sunk in during Sunday’s 26-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, as Jefferson spent part of the fourth quarter sitting despondently on a water cooler and then skipping his postgame news conference for the first time in his career.
“No, I wouldn’t say wasted,” Jefferson said. “Obviously it’s a difficult season. It’s probably one of the most difficult seasons just off of the circumstances, having a young quarterback, having a different team, having young players on the team. So it’s just one of those years. Not every year is going to be a top-tier year for me. It’s really a part of the game, so it’s just all on me to expect a lot from these guys and to improve on anything that we need to improve on as an offense.”
Jefferson entered the season with an average of 96.5 receiving yards per game in his career, the highest in NFL history among qualified players. But in his seven games with McCarthy and Brosmer, he has averaged 46 yards. Overall this season, he ranks No. 12 in the NFL in receptions (60) and receiving yards (799), while catching only two touchdowns. He’ll need 601 receiving yards during the final five games to avoid setting a career low for a full season’s play.
Earlier this week, coach Kevin O’Connell said the team is well aware that it’s not performing to Jefferson’s standard.
“But it takes much more than just calling plays for them or having sequences in the games where they can have a high level of impact, because this game requires 10 other guys to operate at a standard to allow that to happen. And that’s what we’ve got to strive to have happen. And Justin plays a huge role in that as one of our captains.”
“He obviously wants to win football games,” O’Connell said. “He’s as competitive as anybody I’ve ever been around, and he’s a leader on our team. Nobody is accepting any of the outcomes that we’re facing right now, regardless of the reason, regardless of the current state of where we’re at, nobody’s accepting that. And Justin certainly will never be asked to accept that. But he always … shows up with energy, and he’s going to have an impact on our organization at a really high level. And we’ve got to find ways to allow players just like Justin and Jordan [Addison] and some of our other players to have a chance to impact the game. And then, when they get those chances, we know that good things will happen.
CloseKevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.Follow on X
Jefferson: It’s been one of the ‘most difficult seasons’ (0:40)Justin Jefferson tells reporters about the difficulties he and the Vikings have faced this season. (0:40)