No matter who lines up under center, Justin Jefferson is confident in his abilities.
Like many teams, the Minnesota Vikings face a pivotal offseason following their postseason exit. The biggest decision? Determining their starting quarterback.
A few weeks ago, veteran Sam Darnold seemed like the safe bet. Darnold was having a career resurgence while rookie J.J. McCarthy recovered from injury. However, the 27-year-old stumbled down the stretch, including a rough performance in Monday night’s wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Among other struggles, Darnold was sacked nine times, casting doubt on his future with the team. Now, it seems likely McCarthy will take over as QB1, leaving Darnold either relegated to the bench or exploring free agency. Head coach Kevin O’Connell hinted at this possibility in his post-game press conference.
No matter who ends up starting, Jefferson, the Vikings’ star wide receiver and a cornerstone of the offense, remains unfazed.
“I didn’t know who my quarterback was going to be [after last season], and I really didn’t care,” Jefferson said Monday night, via ESPN. “At the end of the day, I’ll always say that I’m confident in myself to perform the same way I’ve been performing. But it’s not my job to say who is going to be the quarterback or who do I want to be the quarterback. At the end of the day, they’re going to figure it out, and whoever they decide to go with, we can work with that.”
Jefferson faced similar uncertainty last offseason when Kirk Cousins hit free agency, so this isn’t new territory for him. His confidence in his own play is a reassuring sign for the Vikings as they navigate this critical decision.
