Justin Jefferson sends a cold-blooded message to J.J. McCarthy

Justin Jefferson is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL and got paid like it this offseason, as he inked a four-year deal worth $140 million with $110 million guaranteed. It's an insane amount of money, but you can't say he isn't worth every cent of it with the player he has become.

Having Jefferson locked in is huge for the Minnesota Vikings, but they saw their quarterback, Kirk Cousins, walk out the door and sign with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason as well. Losing Cousins is a huge deal.

Minnesota drafted his long-term replacement, J.J. McCarthy, but Sam Darnold has long been the favorite to start at the quarterback position for the Vikings. While Vikings fans might not want to see that, Jefferson's comments explain why that might be the case.

Justin Jefferson knows who he wants as the quarterback in Minnesota

When asked to explain the difference of playing with Darnold and McCarthy, here's what Jefferson had to say:

"They're both different types of quarterbacks," said Jefferson, h/t Sports Illustrated. "Sam is more of a vet quarterback, he likes to put touch on the ball here and there, he knows what speed he needs to throw the ball and how he needs to throw the ball. J.J.'s still young and just wants to rip it all the time. (He) has that strong arm and wants to get it there."

Jefferson knows that McCarthy, a player Minnesota just drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, has talent. He shouted out McCarthy's strong arm and his desire to use it. Jefferson's issue, though, is that McCarthy doesn't appear to have the same feel that Darnold and other veterans have.

McCarthy can be as talented as he wants to be, but if he isn't ready to play in the NFL, he isn't ready. Sooner rather than later, he'll learn that he doesn't need to throw the ball as hard and as far as he can to succeed in the NFL. While Darnold hasn't shown much in his time as a starter in the NFL, Jefferson believes he knows how to get the ball to his receivers more efficiently.

"I'm always getting work with him," Jefferson said. "If it's not on the field, it's after practice, he's asking me different questions on what reads I'm looking at or how to better read (things) on plays we have throughout practices. He's always asking me questions and always trying to learn any way he can."

While Darnold might be more NFL-ready right now, McCarthy is eager to get better, and is working as hard as he can with Jefferson to improve, which is awesome to see.

Again, McCarthy has tons of potential and will be the starting quarterback for the Vikings one day. It could even be this season. However, there is a reason why he is unlikely to begin the 2024 campaign as a starter. It's more likely that he'll begin it as the team's third-stringer, a possibility outlined by Dan Graziano of ESPN (subscription required).

"The Vikings want McCarthy's first-team reps in training camp to be a surprise to him -- to get him used to the idea of having to go into the game at a moment's notice, to listen to coach Kevin O'Connell call a play he wasn't planning to run," writes Graziano. "Part of this is an effort to find out whether McCarthy will be ready when the season begins to be the primary backup to Darnold or whether they need to keep Nick Mullens in that role."

McCarthy is going to get the chance to prove himself during the preseason, and Jefferson will surely be on the field at some point with him. Perhaps after seeing him in game action, his opinion will change. For now, it's up to McCarthy to show that he's adjusting to the NFL level. Everybody knows he's talented. As we've seen even with Darnold, it takes more than talent to succeed at the NFL level, especially as a quarterback. He'll get there eventually, but maybe not by the time the regular season kicks off, which isn't the end of the world.