Justin Jefferson’s production dipped in 2025 amid inconsistent quarterback play. Kyler Murray gives Minnesota a chance to fix that.
Perhaps no one is more excited about the Minnesota Vikings signing Kyler Murray than Justin Jefferson. After enduring inconsistent quarterback play throughout the 2025 season, Jefferson finally has a proven passer delivering the ball to him again.
Jefferson entered the season averaging 96.5 receiving yards per game in his career, the highest mark in NFL history. That spanned games with Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens, Josh Dobbs, Jaren Hall, and Sam Darnold making starts.
Even after missing seven games in 2023 and not having Cousins for half the season, Jefferson still eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the year.
However, the 2025 season was the first time Jefferson struggled to produce. Jefferson only averaged 61.9 yards per game and didn't eclipse 1,000 until Week 18.
Interestingly, Jefferson's best stretch of the season came during Carson Wentz's five starts. He caught 34 passes for 483 yards in those games, averaging 96.6 yards per game — almost identical to his career mark.
However, in the 12 games with McCarthy and Max Brosmer starting, Jefferson caught only 50 passes for 565 yards, although his two touchdowns on the season came from McCarthy. The 47.1-yard average led to visible frustration from Jefferson. He caught two passes for a career-low four yards in Week 13 against the Seahawks and didn't speak to the media after the game.
Although McCarthy wasn't the quarterback that game, his absence (a common theme over two seasons) meant Brosmer, an undrafted free agent, had to step into the lineup.
Jefferson's only other 100-yard game came in Week 18. Although McCarthy got the start, he once again couldn't finish the game. Jefferson caught six passes for 76 yards from McCarthy, then two passes for 25 yards from Brosmer.
For a player who was seemingly able to produce no matter the number of games he played or who threw him the ball, Jefferson's lack of production in 2025 was glaring. To allow the possibility of another erratic quarterback season to derail their star receiver would have been malpractice by the Vikings.
That's one of the many reasons Minnesota signed Murray. The former No. 1 overall pick has had his struggles over the past several seasons, but he has completed 67.1% of his passes in his career.
In 2020, Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins caught 115 passes for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns with Murray throwing him the ball. And although he plays tight end, Trey McBride caught 111 passes for 1,146 yards and two touchdowns in 2024 with Murray starting all 17 games.
Murray has shown he can get the ball to his playmakers. Minnesota's offense runs through Jefferson, so it's no surprise the unit struggled as a whole in 2025 when he wasn't getting the ball.
Sometimes we overcomplicate football. Get the ball to your best players and let them do their thing. If you can't do that, you likely have little chance of succeeding.
With Murray under center, Jefferson and the Vikings have an opportunity to bounce back in a big way.