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Justin Jefferson spoke candidly about Kyler Murray and the Vikings' new Rivalry uniforms.
Russell Wilson opened his CBS studio career with a clear message about the Minnesota Vikings. On Sunday’s The NFL Today pregame show, the former NFL quarterback said the Vikings could become one of the league’s most difficult teams to handle — if they win their first two games.
Minnesota Can Be Dangerous
“If the Minnesota Vikings can get through the first two weeks, if the Minnesota Vikings can get through the first two weeks 2-0, with Kyler Murray, the weapons they have, with the head coach they have in Kevin O’Connell, I think they are a very dangerous team.”
He then explained the part of Minnesota that worried him most as a former quarterback.
“Here is why, I think,” Wilson said. “Because Brian Flores is calling the defense, and it is so hard to go against them.”
That framing matters heading into Week 1. Minnesota hosts Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium on CBS, with Murray making his first regular-season start in purple. The supporting cast around him is the reason Wilson kept returning to the word “weapons.” Justin Jefferson remains the focal point. O’Connell’s scheme has already shown it can create space for veteran quarterbacks. Flores’ defense, in Wilson’s view, is the piece that can turn a hot start into something larger.
Wilson: “Kyler Murray & Justin Jefferson Will Go Crazy!”
“Kyler Murray and Justin Jefferson will go crazy today.”
He put numbers behind it, forecasting 250 passing yards for Murray and at least one touchdown for Jefferson, with a second score also in play against the Packers. Those projections set a high bar for a debut. Murray is still settling into a new offense after winning the starting job in training camp.
Jefferson is looking to rebound after a quieter 2025 by his own standards. Wilson treated the matchup as the first real test of whether that pairing can produce explosive football immediately, not after a month of adjustment.
Wilson’s Prediction Could Be Accurate
The calendar also supports Wilson’s larger point. Minnesota’s first two games are both NFC North contests, beginning with Green Bay at home and Chicago on the road next week.
A 2-0 start would give Murray instant standing, give Jefferson early highlight tape, and give Flores’ defense a lead to protect rather than a deficit to erase. Wilson was not crowning Minnesota a Super Bowl favorite. He was describing a team that becomes hard to play once it has a winning record, a healthy skill group, and a defense that forces opposing quarterbacks into uncomfortable looks.
That is why he kept circling back to Flores. Offenses can look sharp in September. A Flores defense can make those same offenses look rushed, confused, and one-dimensional. Sunday will decide how much of Wilson’s Week 1 forecast holds up.
If Murray reaches 250 yards and Jefferson finds the end zone, the rest of the analyst’s take will travel quickly: Minnesota is not just interesting. Get through two weeks, and Wilson believes the Vikings are dangerous.
Former NFL Quarterback Makes Bold Vikings Prediction Statement