Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson maintained he still has love for the game of football amid his sixth year in the NFL, but there has been some fleeting joy this season.
The former zero-star recruit and walk-on at LSU doesn’t get the same one-on-one matchups that he used to be afforded. Teams are building entire systems to stop the league’s most productive receiver, including changing the rules of the game.
It also hasn’t helped that the Vikings are facing some quarterback uncertainty this year with J.J. McCarthy. Jefferson and McCarthy struggled to connect in a Week 10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Jefferson caught just four of 12 targets for 37 yards and saw two interceptions thrown his way.
Jefferson’s body language that game was off as many fans wondered what was wrong.
He went on social media, posting a video of his one-handed catch against the Buffalo Bills in 2022 that won “Moment of the Year” at the NFL Honors with the caption: “I need to get back to year3 Jets (Jefferson’s nickname).
Jefferson won Offensive Player of the Year that season to the tune of 128 catches for 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns. But this year feels like a far cry from those days, with Jefferson averaging a career-low 76.2 yards per game and failing to surpass 50 yards receiving in three of McCarthy’s four starts.
Asked about what he meant by that post, which has been interpreted several ways, Jefferson made his feelings clear that he is trying to find that joy for football again amid a difficult season for the entire team.
“Just wanted to get back to that kid phase of overly loving football, overly loving being out there on Sundays, making the big plays. Just being part of this great organization. Just wanting to get back mentally into that mode,” Jefferson said.
Justin Jefferson Addresses Frustration in Vikings’ Loss to Ravens
Jefferson’s effort last week came into question on a pair of interceptions that saw him looking despondent when chasing down the Ravens’ interception.
“I’m not really mad at the situation that I’m in, or I’m not mad at the players that we have or the plays that’s being called. Of course I’m mad after an interception, you want me to be happy and go chase him down,” Jefferson asked.
“I want to win, I’m an ultra competitor. A lot of people that don’t play this game, don’t play sports don’t understand the competitive side of it.”
Justin Jefferson’s Decline is a Red Flag for Vikings
Entering Week 11, Jefferson has seen the most interceptions thrown when targeted in the NFL with six on the season (Carson Wentz accounts for four interceptions).
The Vikings have managed to keep Jefferson involved, but it hasn’t produced the same dividends when targeting him. Jefferson has posted an average 110.94 passer rating when targeted across his first five seasons in the league. This year, his passer rating when targeted is 64.9, per Pro Football Focus.
Teams continue to take Jefferson away with bracketed and double coverage, which has contributed to frustrations for the star receiver.
However, he insisted that he still has joy playing for the Vikings.
“I wouldn’t say I lost it, but of course it’s a little bit difficult when teams play me the way they have been playing me. I don’t have those one-on-one coverages as much as I used to, and that’s probably why I missed ‘Year 3 Jets,’ because I’m having a little bit less double coverages and a lot less attention than, of course, now,” Jefferson said. So I guess you can say that kind of takes away a little bit of the joy, but I still love going out there and playing football.”
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