Quarterback injuries and offensive instability have left Jefferson chasing history with one game left — and very little help.
Justin Jefferson has reached 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first five seasons. He did so as a rookie in 2020, even though he didn't start until his third game. Quarterback injuries and a hamstring injury that kept him off the field for seven games in 2023 weren't able to prevent him from reaching the mark, as Jefferson still managed 1,074 yards.
Yet Jefferson enters Week 18 in legitimate trouble of failing to reach the 1,000-yard mark. He has caught 76 passes for 943 yards despite playing all 16 games so far this year. Injuries at quarterback have affected Jefferson's production, but he actually had his most productive games of the season with Carson Wentz under center.
In five games with Wentz, Jefferson caught 37 passes for 477 yards, a 95.4-yard average that is just below his 96.5-yards-per-game average going into the season. That means that 50.3% of Jefferson's production this year came in less than one-third of his games.
Wentz's last game came in Week 8, a Thursday night loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He was playing through a shoulder injury that ultimately required surgery after the game, placing him on injured reserve and ending his season.
J.J. McCarthy returned to the starting lineup, but he has struggled to both stay on the field and to be productive. He has missed two of the past five games after exiting the Vikings' Week 16 win over the New York Giants.
Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer has replaced McCarthy in those games, and his limited skill set and production have further affected Jefferson. The star receiver caught two passes for a career-low 4 yards in the Vikings' 26-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13.
This week, Jefferson only caught four receptions for 40 yards in Minnesota's 23-10 win over the Lions on Christmas. The rest of the passing offense was even worse, as Brosmer completed only nine total passes for 51 yards. In addition, he took seven sacks that lost 48 yards, giving the Vikings 3 passing yards, the fewest in team history.
To his credit, Jefferson has made sure to keep his emotions under control, understanding that as a leader, he has an obligation to stay positive in a disappointing season for not only him, but the team.
"That's kind of what I signed up for," Jefferson said after the victory over Detroit ."You know, having this C on my chest, being the captain, it comes with a lot.
"So, just making sure that I'm always that motivator on this team, always keeping the guys up and motivated. And then going out there and making the plays when they do come to me."
It remains to be seen if McCarthy will return for the season finale against the Green Bay Packers. He missed the Christmas game because of a hairline fracture suffered against the Giants. If he can't go, it will be Brosmer again.
Regardless of who starts, the primary objective in Week 18 will be getting Jefferson the ball. He only needs 57 yards to reach the milestone, which used to be attainable in just over one half of play for him. But it's just below his season-average of 59.2 yards this season.
Jefferson has only eclipsed 57 yards in two of his past nine games. Can he do it one last time to give himself and the offense something to feel positive about as the underwhelming 2025 season comes to a close?