Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson got his first receiving crown in 2022 when he led the league with 1,809 receiving yards.
If Jefferson wants another — and he does — then he’s got some catching up to do against former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase, who holds a 149-yard lead with four games left in the regular season. Jefferson’s 1,170 yards ranks second behind only Chase’s 1,319 yards.
And it’s really a two-horse race. The next closest receiver, the Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, trails Jefferson by nearly 200 yards and lacks a starting-caliber quarterback.
“Every person wants to be the number one guy,” Jefferson said Friday. “For it to be Ja’Marr is always something special. … It’s crazy to see the amount of talent we had on that [2019 LSU] squad. But, you know, there’s four games left. There’s time for me to still get in that lead. Touchdowns, it’s going to be hard to catch him.”
Jefferson said you can’t stake a claim as the best without the stats to back it up. Coach Kevin O’Connell’s game plan sounds geared toward reversing the way the Chicago Bears erased Jefferson during the first meeting between these teams, an overtime Vikings win at Soldier Field on Nov. 24.
The Bears held Jefferson to a season-low two catches for 27 yards while receiver Jordan Addison, tight end T.J. Hockenson and running back Aaron Jones each surpassed the century mark in their respective categories. Chicago threw Minnesota a curveball, putting top corner Jaylon Johnson on Jefferson after he hadn’t shadowed receivers much all season.
This time around, Jefferson said, the Vikings have a few tricks planned.
“I’m excited for it,” he said. “Just being at home and being in the dome and not having to worry about the cold temperatures and all that, it’s just going to be a different vibe.”