Vikings Legend Offers Strong Words for Justin Jefferson
Oct 20, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
When Justin Jefferson arrived at LSU, few people other than the Tigers fans who remembered his older brothers Jordan and Rickey (who played quarterback and safety for the program) knew who he was.
That all changed after Jefferson put in a couple explosive seasons and was a key part of a national championship squad in 2019. It led to the Minnesota Vikings selecting Jefferson with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Now, Jefferson has become a global superstar after rewriting the NFL record books through his first five seasons. No player in NFL history has more receiving yards in five campaigns than Jefferson’s 7432, and it’s not particularly close. The second-highest total is Torry Holt’s 6784.
Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) runs after a catch against the Detroit Lions during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
The third player on that list has been regarded as the greatest receiver in Minnesota Vikings history and one of the best of all time: Randy Moss.
Moss recorded 6743 receiving yards in his first five NFL seasons with the Vikings along with 60 touchdowns. Now, Moss says it may be time to pass the torch to Jefferson as the greatest receiver in Vikings history.
Randy Moss Offers High Praise for Justin Jefferson
Sep 27, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Minnesota Vikings (84) Randy Moss in action against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports © Copyright USA TODAY Sports
Moss recently did an interview with TMZ Sports, saying Jefferson is at the very least on pace to be the greatest Vikings receiver ever.
“I think Justin Jefferson is on pace to be arguably the greatest ever and definitely the greatest Viking to ever do it,” Moss said. “I’ve always been a fan of a complete football player, where you can score from anywhere on the field. And Justin brings that to the table.”
When it comes to finding a complete football player at the wide receiver position, there are few who do it as well as Justin Jefferson.
The star can holds his own wherever he lines up: on the boundary, in the slot, and even in the backfield.
Jun 10, 2025; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) watches practice during minicamp at the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
The one knock you could give Jefferson through his first few seasons was that he didn’t find the end zone enough after recording seven touchdowns during his rookie season.
Since then, though, he has now turned in a pair of 10-TD seasons over the past four years.
“If you want to really be legendary, this is speaking for all wide receivers, not just Justin Jefferson, you gotta find ways to get in that end zone and bring the fans out of the stands up out of their seats,” Moss told TMZ Sports.
We’ll see what kind of gaudy numbers Jefferson puts together with new QB J.J. McCarthy under center. Perhaps we finally see the 2000-yard season that the star has been flirting with over the past few years.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey
