Justin Jefferson’s connection to his head coach was a big part of deciding to commit his football future to the Minnesota Vikings.
On Wednesday, Jefferson joined Kay Adams on the Up & Adams show to discuss the upcoming NFL season. Adams asked the 25-year-old receiver why he decided to sign a massive extension with the Vikings this offseason. His answer was pretty straightforward.
“That connection is just not found anywhere. Especially the connection I have with KO (Kevin O’Connell), having a head coach that’s that player-oriented, that I have a very close connection with, it’s not something that you can find at the next team,” Jefferson said.
“The whole organization, the facility, even our stadium, our fan base, everything is just high quality, top tier in this league.”
Jefferson is comfortable with the Vikings and O’Connell. A former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, O’Connell took over as Minnesota’s head coach in 2022. The Vikings went 13-4 in his first season as head coach and finished 7-10 in 2023. Jefferson missed seven games due to injury during the 2023 campaign.
In June, Jefferson signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension that includes $110 million in guaranteed money. The deal was the highest for a non-quarterback in the NFL, averaging $35 million a year.
The Vikings haven’t had a ton of success in Jefferson’s four season, as they have only played in one playoff game, a 31-24 loss to the New York Giants during the 2022 season. But Jefferson has racked up plenty of individual accolades in that time.
Jefferson is a two-time second-team All-Pro and was named first-team All-Pro in 2022 when he won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. That 2022 season was brilliant and among the best for a receiver in NFL history. He led the NFL in receptions (128), and had 1,809 yards and eight receiving touchdowns while adding one rushing touchdown.
The Vikings standout is arguably the best receiver in the NFL, but he’ll be working with a new quarterback in 2024. Kirk Cousins bolted Minnesota to join the Atlanta Falcons, which has left the Vikings with Sam Darnold under center. Minnesota selected J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick in first round of the 2024 draft, but he’ll miss the season with a knee injury.
That will leave Jefferson and O’Connell trying to elevate Darnold as they try to get the Vikings back in the playoffs. The superstar wideout will have a lot on his plate in 2024.
