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Justin Jefferson didn’t produce what many expected of him as the Minnesota Vikings struggled at QB during the 2025 NFL season. Nonetheless, even with the challenges under center, Jefferson still put up respectable numbers.
Last season, Jefferson played 392 pass snaps for the Vikings, leading to an 80.5 overall PFF grade. Jefferson hauled in 84 receptions on 140 targets for 1,048 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Moreover, he averaged 12.5 yards per reception and generated 435 yards after the catch while having five drops. Despite these numbers, with the sporadic play from the QB position, CBS Sports’ Leger Douzable is questioning Jefferson’s status as the best wideout in the NFL.
Douzable stated that, for him, there are two better receivers than Jefferson for that top spot as the league’s best wide receiver.
“Obviously, J.J. McCarthy really struggled at quarterback, but when I look over the last two seasons, and you look at the receivers who are No. 1 and No. 2 in receiving yards, you have Ja’Marr Chase and Jaxon Smith-Njigba,” Douzable said on a June 25 appearance on “CBS Sports HQ.”
“Well, they’ve had to deal with different quarterbacks, and yet their production is still through the roof.”
Why Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Isn’t the Best WR in the NFL
Furthermore, Douzable explained why he has Ja’Marr Chase and Jaxon Smith-Njigba as better receivers than Jefferson while noting that putting the Vikings star as the eighth-best player in the NFL might not be something he agrees with.
“When you look at it, Jaxon Smith-Njigba played with Geno Smith last year, and then he played with Sam Darnold this year, so there’s not a lot of continuity there going into the season,” Douzable added.
“Ja’Marr Chase didn’t have Joe Burrow for nine games and still finished in the top four in receiving yards. Now, J.J. is still a really good player. I just don’t think he’s a top-two receiver in football anymore. I think No. 8 is a little bit too high on this list.”
Justin Jefferson to Have Bounce-Back Season in 2026
Minnesota is in the middle of a QB competition between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray. As a result, the Vikings hope whoever wins the competition can make the most of having Jefferson and help the wideout improve his numbers.
Regardless of who wins the battle, SKOR North’s Thor Nystrom sees Jefferson having a bounce-back season.
“We’re definitely going to get a bounce back from Jefferson, and from the passing game, I believe,” Nystrom said in a June 25 video from SKOR North. “I do think the run game will be better, too.
“One of the major factors for both of those things is, knock on wood, but I think the offensive line. If it were as injury-cursed and ravaged as it was last year, that would be a stunning mathematical anomaly for that to happen two straight years.”
It will be interesting to see if that bounce-back season happens and whether Jefferson develops chemistry with Murray. Many expect the former Arizona Cardinals star to win the competition, and he will need to make sure that he uses the Vikings’ wideout to his full potential.
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
