It was a challenging 2025 NFL season for Minnesota Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson. Nonetheless, despite the rollercoaster campaign and the team missing the playoffs, Jefferson remained a good teammate and didn’t lash out at the situation.
During an April 14 interview on the “Ross Tucker Podcast,” former Vikings wideout Adam Thielen shared that it’s because of these actions and others that make Jefferson not only one of the best players at his position, but an overall great teammate.
“What I think makes him so good is that the first day I met him, I could tell — just his body control, the way that he runs routes and catches the football with ease, and his natural ability,” Thielen said.
“And then, on top of that, he’s just a great teammate. Even through some of these rough years that happened in Minnesota, you don’t hear negative stuff about him because he’s the ultimate pro. He shows up, he busts his butt, he knows what to do, he practices hard every day, and he treats people with respect throughout the entire building.”
Last season with the Vikings, Jefferson posted an 80.5 overall PFF grade, ranking 14th out of 81 qualified wide receivers. Furthermore, his 80.2 receiving grade placed him 17th in that same group.
He finished with 84 catches on 140 targets for 1,048 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 12.5 yards per reception. Moreover, Jefferson added 435 yards after the catch while also having five drops and having a 10.7-yard average depth of target.
Vikings’ Jordan Addison Gets Clear Message for 2026 NFL Season
With Kyler Murray potentially starting at QB, should he win the competition, many expect Jefferson to have a bounce-back season in 2026. Nonetheless, another wideout receiving a clear message is Jordan Addison.
The Vikings did pick up the fifth-year option on Addison’s contract, and it’s a big year for the wide receiver as he looks for a long-term deal. As a result, the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Chip Scoggins is calling out the former USC Trojan to step up this 2026 season.
“This is a big contract year for Jordan,” Scoggins said in an April 11 video from “Purple Access.” “This is his chance, not only on the field but off the field, to show that he can be trusted with big contract money.
“Year 3 was the worst of his career. Not all his fault. The quarterback situation was a disaster at times, sure. But it was a career low in catches, a career low in yards, and a career low in touchdowns.
“He had seven drops. He didn’t have that many combined in his first two seasons. I think the focus wasn’t there all the time, probably because of what was happening at quarterback.”
Jordan Addison Needs to Show He’s Worth the Big Contract
Scoggins added that Addison needs to play with a point to prove this season, so the Vikings don’t have to second-guess paying him big-time money.
“This is a year for Jordan Addison to show he can be trusted as a core foundational player and someone deserving of a big contract, “ Scoggins noted. “So I think if that does not motivate him coming off a down year, the worst of his career, with a chance to show he deserves big money, nothing will.”
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