What Could Go Wrong? Justin Jefferson’s shocking Sam Darnold comments won’t slow hype

Minnesota Vikings veteran quarterback Sam Darnold has been one of the more polarizing since entering the league in 2018. Albeit physically gifted, his NFL career has not gone as planned (to say the least).

A highly touted prospect out of college, many considered Darnold to be the top signal-caller prospect of his stacked class. Unfortunately, that evaluation has aged poorly, highlighted by his 21-35 career record as a starter.

Despite his previous shortcomings, Darnold has earned the faith of a particularly prominent member of the Vikings organization -- Justin Jefferson. The superstar wide receiver gave the journeyman gunslinger a surprisingly massive vote of confidence in a recent interview with The Athletic's Dianna Russini for the Scoop City podcast.

"This is my first time being around Sam [Darnold] and having him throw to me," Jefferson told Russini. "To see the balls that he throws ... it was right in the hands, and it feels like a soft pillow. He's been doing a great job trying to learn and build that chemistry with the whole team."

Justin Jefferson’s shocking Sam Darnold comments won’t slow the hype

Assuredly, these comments won't blow up Jefferson's face. Right? It's not like we have a six-year sample size that should deter us from entrusting Darnold. Oh wait, we do!

Jefferson seems to believe that Darnold's talent hasn't aligned with his production thus far. The latter has been dealt a brutal hand since becoming a pro, so perhaps the former's onto something. The 2018 No. 3 overall pick has shown flashes of the potential that merited his lofty draft status. Still, he's been unable to sustain those efforts consistently.

Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy recently suffered a meniscus injury that required season-ending surgery. In light of the unfortunate news, Darnold is now the unquestioned starter atop Minnesota's depth chart. With that in mind, Jefferson has no choice besides putting all his eggs in the Darnold basket. Be that as it may, the 3-time Pro Bowl wideout may regret his overzealous choice of words in due time.

Nonetheless, we can't fault Jefferson for expressing belief in Darnold and trying to build him up. Sans McCarthy, the USC product is the best and only option the Vikings have, barring any external additions.