“Ain’t playing this game not to win” - Justin Jefferson vows to deliver Super Bowl for Vikings
Justin Jefferson is determined to bring a Lombardi Trophy to Minnesota. While streaming himself playing Madden, he told his chat that he plays to win and remains confident that his dream of achieving this milestone will eventually come true. Though he admits he's uncertain when, he's confident it will happen.
“I see the Vikings winning sometime... we gonna win. I ain’t playing this game not to win. We going to win.”
Jefferson was drafted with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. The LSU product has since become one of the top receivers in the NFL. Last summer, he signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension with the Vikings, which includes $110 million guaranteed. In each of his five seasons with the Vikings, Jefferson has posted over 1,000 yards receiving.
In his 2024 campaign, Jefferson caught 103 passes for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns, matching his career-high for touchdowns in a season. Heading to 2025, Jefferson will have JJ McCarthy as his quarterback, stepping in as QB1 for Minnesota.
The second-year quarterback will be taking his first NFL regular-season snaps next year as Minnesota's starter, and he'll have quite the security blanket in Jefferson to throw to.
Justin Jefferson is set to catch passes from a new quarterback in 2025
Justin Jefferson will be catching passes from JJ McCarthy next season, who was the Vikings' first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. McCarthy was taken with the 10th overall pick, fresh off a national championship victory with Michigan. McCarthy played in the preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, throwing two touchdown passes. However, shortly after, McCarthy began experiencing soreness in his right knee.
McCarthy was later determined to have suffered a torn meniscus. He was later forced to undergo surgery to repair the issue and missed the entirety of the season as a result. McCarthy became the first quarterback in NFL history to have missed his entire rookie season after being drafted in the first round.
Although there were rumors about Aaron Rodgers potentially replacing Sam Darnold as the starting quarterback, the Vikings seem fully behind McCarthy for 2025. Under Darnold, the Vikings achieved a 14-3 record and made the playoffs. It will be interesting to see if Minnesota is able to see similar success next season with McCarthy at the helm.