If Justin Jefferson isn't the best wide receiver in the NFL, he's darn close. He's racked up at least 1,400 receiving yards in four of his first five NFL seasons, and has been as good as anyone in NFL history before turning 26 years old. What's been most impressive about Jefferson is that he's been as dominant as he's been despite constant turmoil under center. J.J. McCarthy's presence can give him and his teammates the stability they've lacked and make everyone better as a result.
Jefferson has gained all of those yards catching passes from 6 different QBs.
— Evan Kaplan (@EpKap) June 16, 2025
The Vikings and their fans hoping another J.J. will provide consistency at QB for the next decade. https://t.co/239wjgF0mw
Jefferson has caught passes from six different quarterbacks in his five-year career thus far. Most of those have come from Kirk Cousins, but it feels as if, especially since he suffered his Achilles tear, there has been nothing but chaos under center. Even when Sam Darnold solidified it this past season, he wound up departing in free agency.
McCarthy, Minnesota's first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, will have an opportunity to establish himself as the Minnesota Vikings' gunslinger of choice for the short and long-term future.
J.J. McCarthy brings Justin Jefferson, Vikings, the comroderie they've missed
Jefferson's raw talent has allowed him to put up some of the best statistics in the league despite little consistency under center, but can you imagine how dominant he'd be if he had a quarterback he'd play with for a half-decade like CeeDee Lamb with Dak Prescott or Ja'Marr Chase with Joe Burrow? Now, he'll get a chance to do that with McCarthy.
The Vikings selected McCarthy in the first round with this in mind. They were looking for their quarterback of the future to replace Cousins, and McCarthy certainly has the talent to be a franchise cornerstone for a long time. I mean, Jefferson himself has had nothing but great things to say about McCarthy.
"[McCarthy] accuracy and his ability to really put it in those tight windows, that's something that we're really going to need during the season," Jefferson voiced. "Not everything is going to be wide open, so sometimes you gotta fit it in that pocket."
Obviously, there's a lot for McCarthy, a player who has not been on the field for a single regular season snap, to prove, especially with how tough the NFC North is. However, if he is who Jefferson believes he is, not only will the Vikings be better, but we might see an even better version of Jefferson, who gains more chemistry with McCarthy by the day.