Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson posted his fifth-straight season with 1,000-plus receiving yards in 2024. It was also Jefferson’s third season with 100-plus receptions and he tied his career-high with 10 receiving touchdowns.
Jefferson was voted a unanimous All-Pro selection for the second time for his efforts.
“Wow, that’s crazy!” Jefferson told the Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi on January 10. “That’s respect right there. That’s what I call respect.”
Jefferson joined Vikings teammates Andrew DePaola and Andrew Van Ginkel on this season’s All-Pro teams . DePaola is a First-Teamer for the second time in three seasons while Van Ginkel, a first-time selection, is on the Second Team.
Jefferson finished the regular season with 103 receptions for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns.
His strong season and second All-Pro selection were the ideal follow-ups to the four-year, $140 million contract extension he signed before the campaign.
Justin Jefferson Having Hall of Fame Start to Career
GettyJustin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after beating the Green Bay Packers.
Jefferson’s five seasons with at least 1,000 yards to start his career are tied for the most in NFL history, per Stathead . The list includes former Viking and Hall of Famer Randy Moss , Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , and former Cincinnati Bengals star A.J. Green .
Among active players, only current Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase and Garrett Wilson of the New York Jets have recorded 1,000 yards or more every year since their rookie seasons.
There have been 28 instances of players recording 100-1500-10 lines.
Jefferson is one of seven players with at least two such campaigns; only ex-Indianapolis Colts receiver Marvin Harrison has more with three. Five players in that 28-man group – Moss, Harrison, Isaac Bruce , Jerry Rice , and Michael Irvin – are in the Hall of Fame.
No other receiver in NFL history has ever produced a line as good or better than Jefferson’s 495 receptions, 7,432 receiving yards, and 40 touchdowns over their first five seasons.
Jefferson appears well on his way to Canton.
His five 1,000-yard seasons tie him with 19 others for the eighth-most in NFL history . Rice holds the record with 14 while Evans is the leader among active players with 11. Moss has 10, setting the standard for the Vikings franchise.
Justin Jefferson Could See Boost in Fans in Vikings Wild Card Game vs Rams
GettyJustin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts against the Los Angeles Rams.
Jefferson and the Vikings could see a boost in fan support in their Wild Card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams . The wildfires in California led NFL officials to move the game to Glendale, Arizona, where the Cardinals play.
Rams and Cardinals fans received priority for tickets to the game. That could lead to more of a balance of boos and cheers for the Vikings.
Jefferson had eight grabs for 115 yards versus the Rams in Week 8 of the regular season.
That could bode well for the Vikings. They can avenge their 30-20 loss to LA on “Thursday Night Football” in their playoff rematch.
The Vikings are entering this game licking their wounds. They suffered a blowout loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 18 of the regular season. The Rams lost their finale too, but they rested their starters against the Seattle Seahawks .
Both the Rams and Vikings were on winning streaks of at least five games before those losses.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us .
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Vikings WR Justin Jefferson Gets Honest About ‘Respect’ After Making History appeared first on Heavy Sports .