Vikings receiver who joined Randy Moss and Mike Evans as the only players ever with six straight 1,000-yard seasons to start a career.
Justin Jefferson didn't have his cleanest season in 2025, but he still hit 1,000 yards for the sixth consecutive year. Only Randy Moss and Mike Evans had ever done that to open an NFL career. Jefferson is 26, signed through 2028, and remains the gold standard of route-running at the WR position.
Path to the league
LSU national champion in 2019 alongside Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. Finished his college career third in school history in receiving touchdowns. Vikings took him 22nd overall in 2020 and the production was immediate: 88 catches, 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns as a rookie.
Career highlights
2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1,809 receiving yards, one of the great single-season receiver lines ever). Four-time Pro Bowler. Three-time first-team All-Pro. Holds the single-season NFL record for receiving yards through a player's first four seasons. Signed a four-year, $140 million extension in 2024 that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in football.
2025 season recap
84 catches for 1,048 yards and two touchdowns. The receiving totals dropped because the Vikings cycled through three different starting quarterbacks (J.J. McCarthy hurt early, Daniel Jones in for a stretch, Sam Howell to close). The 1,000-yard milestone made Jefferson the first receiver in modern NFL history to do so without a stable starting QB.
What to watch in 2026
J.J. McCarthy enters year three as the unquestioned starter. Minnesota drafted offensive line help and added two veteran tackles in free agency. Jefferson's 8,480 career receiving yards put him on pace to crack the all-time top 25 by age 27. The bigger question is whether McCarthy can unlock his ceiling.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Justin Jefferson
- Pro Football Reference: Justin Jefferson
- Vikings: Justin Jefferson 2025 outlook
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
17 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | vikings | 3 | 13 | 179 | 13.8 | 2 | 39 |
| 2025 | vikings | 17 | 84 | 1,048 | 12.5 | 2 | 50 |
| 2024 | vikings | 17 | 103 | 1,533 | 14.9 | 10 | 97 |
| 2023 | vikings | 10 | 68 | 1,074 | 15.8 | 5 | 52 |
| 2022 | vikings | 17 | 128 | 1,809 | 14.1 | 8 | 64 |
| 2021 | vikings | 17 | 108 | 1,616 | 15.0 | 10 | 56 |
| 2020 | vikings | 16 | 88 | 1,400 | 15.9 | 7 | 71 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | vikings | 17 | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 4 |
| 2024 | vikings | 17 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2023 | vikings | 10 | 1 | -12 | -12.0 | 0 | -12 |
| 2022 | vikings | 17 | 4 | 24 | 6.0 | 1 | 10 |
| 2021 | vikings | 17 | 6 | 14 | 2.3 | 0 | 11 |
| 2020 | vikings | 16 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- LSU
- Hometown
- Saint Rose, LA, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
Latest news about Justin Jefferson
All news →AI Predicts Every Week 4 Game of the 2026 NFL Season
Week 3 went 10 of 16, but the high-confidence picks split 3-3, so the model is more cautious this week: four High picks instead of six, led by Buffalo over New England, with Chiefs at Raiders the game of the week.
Week 3 Injuries: Justin Jefferson, Baker Mayfield and De'Von Achane Among Players Hurt Sunday
Update: Mayfield is out at least three weeks with a dislocated thumb, Achane tore his ACL and is on injured reserve, Jefferson has an ankle sprain and could play, and the 49ers' three injured starters avoided long-term damage.
Vikings Beat Buccaneers 23-16 in Week 3
Minnesota Vikings 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16 at Raymond James Stadium. Kyler Murray went 15 of 29 for 168 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
Vikings Beat Bears 9-3 in Week 2
Minnesota Vikings 9, Chicago Bears 3 at Soldier Field. Carson Wentz went 11 of 20 for 143 yards.
Kyler Murray Suffers Concussion 11 Plays Into Vikings Debut; Wentz Leads 39-22 Comeback
Murray was ruled out in the first quarter after a late hit on a slide drew an unnecessary-roughness flag on Javon Bullard. Carson Wentz threw three touchdowns as Minnesota scored 29 straight points to beat Green Bay.
Vikings Rout Packers 39-22 in Week 1
Minnesota Vikings 39, Green Bay Packers 22 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Carson Wentz went 12 of 19 for 133 yards with 3 touchdowns.
