Justin Jefferson is not about to give up his unofficial title of being recognized as the best wide receiver in the NFL. Jefferson has been a star for the Minnesota Vikings for the first six years of his career, and he has been to the Pro Bowl in 4 of those seasons. He did not make it in 2024 when injuries kept him out of 7 games and he did not make it last year as the Vikings went through a transition at the quarterback position.
Justin Jefferson on whether he’s still the best WR in the NFL, via @FTFonFS1:
“How I’m not? A lot of people base if off the QB play. … If I don’t have an elite QB throwing me the ball the entire year, then it’s a little bit difficult to be in those conversations. Having a… https://t.co/l8VV4nazlA pic.twitter.com/zFXYwLrHB5
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 5, 2026
J.J. McCarthy was given the starting quarterback position after the Vikings let Sam Darnold walk away from the team in free agency. McCarthy struggled with injuries and inconsistency in his first season under center and he regularly failed to throw the ball accurately to Jefferson and No. 2 receiver Jordan Addison. As a result, Jefferson’s numbers were down in the 2025 season.
He caught 84 passes for 1,048 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Vikings and while many receivers would be happy with that kind of production, Jefferson was not. However, he was not about to admit that he had fallen in the WR rankings and that he was no longer the best at his position in the league.
Jefferson still claims top WR spot
“How am I not? A lot of people base if off the QB play,” Jefferson explained. “If I don’t have an elite QB throwing me the ball the entire year, then it’s a little bit difficult to be in those conversations. Having a young QB that’s still learning the game and his potential, you have those difficult seasons which I had this past year. I still think I’m No. 1.”
Jefferson had his best season in 2022 when he caught 128 passes for 1,809 yards and 8 TDs. An amazing 80 of his receptions resulted in first downs for the Vikings.
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