The Minnesota Vikings have a new QB1 after trading a 2027 third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for Kirk Cousins. Furthermore, the player who might be the happiest on the Vikings would likely be Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson began showing visible frustration in the Week 8 loss to the Detroit Lions, and that only continued in the Week 9 defeat to the Buffalo Bills, in which he had three receptions on 11 targets for 58 receiving yards.
Over the last two seasons, the Vikings wideout’s production has taken a massive dip due to the inconsistent play from the QB position. Jefferson has had 115 catches for 1,441 yards and has scored six touchdowns in 24 games in his last two seasons, per StatMuse.
With Cousins now back in Minnesota, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes Jefferson will start producing at a level many expect from him.
“We have every reason to believe that [Jefferson is] going to start looking like the receiver we know him to be, at least to some degree [after the Vikings traded for Cousins],” Smith said on the Nov. 11 edition of “First Take.” “It was an utter disgrace what the Minnesota Vikings have done to him. I called out Kevin O’Connell, and I meant every damn word of it.
“It’s a shame what they’ve done to Justin Jefferson over the last year and a half. You don’t have an all-world receiver like that. He hasn’t looked like that over the last year and a half because he hasn’t had a quarterback.”
Vikings’ Kirk Cousins Will Get Justin Jefferson the Ball
Moreover, ESPN’s Jordan Rodgers believes that if Cousins brings over what he was doing with the Raiders’ offense and getting the football to his playmaker, Brock Bowers, this bodes well for the Vikings’ offense and Jefferson.
“I think instantly getting Kirk, they’re in a short list of Super Bowl contenders right away because of the offense,” Rodgers said during a Nov. 11 appearance on “Get Up.” “They can be legitimately a top-10 offense with Kirk, and that’s not going to be too crazy to say because the Raiders are a top-10 offense right now with zero run game.
“One thing that Kirk did really well this year was get Brock Bowers the football. He’s their best player on that offense: Last week, seven for 111. Justin Jefferson’s going to get the football, and there’s no run game in Minnesota, but he didn’t have that with the Raiders. This instantly is a huge upgrade, and I don’t think they can just be proficient. I think they’re going to be really good on offense.”
Justin Jefferson’s Frustration Was Starting to Show
Before the Vikings traded for Cousins, Vikings reporter for The Athletic, Alec Lewis, noted that the frustration isn’t only staying on the field, as Jefferson is showing that emotion with the media, something he was able to hide last season.
“Just hearing him postgame and throughout the weeks, and having conversations with people externally, he is immensely frustrated with this situation,” Lewis said during a Nov. 10 appearance on KFAN. “He finds himself at the microphones week after week, getting asked the same questions and giving the same answers. It has to be infuriating for a guy who, more than anything, just wants to win and compete in these games.
“Part of the frustration last week in Detroit and then against the Bills is that when the opportunity presents itself to compete against teams you’re going to have to beat to make a deep playoff run, they haven’t been able to prove they can do that.”
Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Issued Strong Outlook After Kirk Cousins Trade