Getty Vikings stars Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins after a Week 3 loss to the Chargers.
Justin Jefferson stood alone on the sideline as the Minnesota Vikings let another win slip from their grasp in Week 3.
The 24-year-old superstar wide receiver is a competitor to his core, which is how he has described himself when asked about his moments of frustration and isolation after a loss.
“I’m a competitor, I hate losing at the end of the day,” Jefferson said in a locker room interview after the Vikings fell to 0-3 with a 28-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on September 24. “Ever since I was a little kid, I just hate the feeling of losing, whether it’s football or a board game. It’s always that competitive spirit in me. I hate losing. Every week, I try to go out there and give it my best, give it my all. To come up short three times in a row is tough.”
Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson Aren’t Enough on Sunday
Jefferson did everything in his power to help the Vikings pick up their first win, securing 7 receptions for 149 yards and his first touchdown of the season. On that play, he took a slant over the middle of the field and exploded for a 52-yard touchdown that gave his team a 24-21 lead with 11:27 left in the fourth quarter.
Kirk Cousins and Jefferson lead the NFL in their respective yardage categories, but Minnesota’s coming up short with turnovers and miscues in the red zone has defined its season. The Vikings rank third in offensive yardage and 17th in points this season.
Minnesota has lost all three of their games by a margin of six or fewer points as one of four 0-3 teams heading into Monday Night Football.
“It’s tough. We’re still hurting ourselves and shooting ourselves in the foot. We have to do better as players by executing the plays, not having any presnap opportunities, and not turning the ball over. We have to do better,” Jefferson said.
Cousins was asked about Jefferson standing alone on the sidelines after the loss.
“I just told him to hang tough. Nothing fancy in that moment,” Cousins said. “He gave us everything he had, and everybody else did, too. And that’s why it’s deeply disappointing.”
Justin Jefferson Doesn’t Want to Sign Onto a Sinking Vikings Ship
As the league’s No. 1 wide receiver, the spotlight has followed Jefferson every time he has a bout of frustration with the results of a game, which has been more frequent as of late. The Vikings are 5-7 in their last 12 games. Remove a meaningless 2022 regular-season finale in which the Chicago Bears tanked for the No. 1 overall pick, the Vikings have lost five straight.
Jefferson’s frustrations wouldn’t be as much of a concern had the team reached an agreement on a contract extension with Jefferson in the offseason. Instead, his future remains insecure. Until he signs an extension, the possibility of Jefferson wanting out remains non-zero and a fear in the minds of fans.
Another factor in Jefferson’s future contract negotiations will be the question of who is throwing him the ball. The Vikings did not sign Cousins to an extension in the offseason either.
However, Cousins has to prove that he can win on the big stage, while Jefferson is waiting to see if the Vikings can do that with Cousins at quarterback. The quarterback-receiver duo remaining on the Vikings roster after this season will command so much cap space that improving a porous defense won’t be viable through free agency.
Through three games, Minnesota hasn’t found the first part of its “competitive rebuild” philosophy, and if they can’t get on the right track, some major changes are on the horizon.