Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson got brutally honest about his team’s quarterback situation in a new interview.
Jefferson spoke with Prince Grimes of USA Today and was asked about Sam Darnold leading the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl one year after the Vikings let him go. While Jefferson is rooting for Darnold, he admitted it has been “tough” to watch his former teammate succeed elsewhere.
“Yeah, for sure, definitely,” Jefferson said when asked if a part of him wished he could have run it back with Darnold. “Everyone knows the difficulty of the quarterback position this year, how we were dealt it. Having a quarterback that already had a season under his belt with us, knew the plays, knew the playbook, knew the players, throwing to me, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, all these guys, I definitely feel like we would have done better. But it is what it is, it’s on to newer and better things.”
The Vikings infamously opted to let Darnold walk in free agency last year and turn the position over to second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy battled injuries and performed poorly even when healthy, throwing 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 10 games. That’s a far cry from the 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions Darnold posted for Minnesota last year, and the 25 touchdowns and 14 picks he had for the Seahawks in 2025.
Jefferson is not trying to throw McCarthy or anyone else under the bus. He is simply stating the obvious. The Vikings probably would have been a playoff team this season had they kept Darnold. The Vikings have stood by their decision, though it probably played a role in getting their general manager fired.
Jefferson’s production also suffered with the quarterback position being such a problem. Some thought it was bad enough to push him out of the franchise, but he still seems committed, for better or worse.