With Sam Darnold now leading the Minnesota Vikings’ offense, star wide receiver Justin Jefferson is expressing strong confidence in his new quarterback.
Darnold has taken over the starting role after the team’s rookie first-round pick, J.J. McCarthy, was sidelined for the season following knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
While Darnold may have been on his way to winning the starting quarterback job anyways, McCarthy’s unfortunate injury made it official.
Jefferson, who has adapted to several quarterbacks since Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury last year, spoke positively about his developing chemistry with Darnold.
“It’s going very well,” Jefferson shared in an interview with CBS.
“A lot of people don’t understand that there’s a lot of things that go into a quarterback and a receiver’s connection than just sitting back there and just throwing the ball to a spot. They have to really learn the timing of everything, how I run the routes, where I’m gonna be at in the routes.
“That’s just us learning each other, learning how he throws the ball, learning how I run the routes,” Jefferson continued.
“I definitely feel confident in going into Week 1 with Sam as our quarterback. I feel like he’s been making plays throughout training camp. I don’t have any worry in my mind at all.”
Darnold, who spent three seasons with the Jets and two with the Panthers before serving as a backup for the 49ers last year, has significant experience despite being relatively new to the Vikings.
His transition into the starting role will be closely watched as the season progresses.
While McCarthy is undoubtedly seen as Minnesota’s franchise quarterback of the future, Darnold is still amazingly just 27-years-old and now has a golden opportunity to resurrect his NFL career.
Meanwhile, Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall, who started a combined five games for the Vikings last season, remain on the roster as potential backups.
Despite the uncertainty at the quarterback position, Jefferson is still seen as a top contender to lead the NFL in receiving yards this season.
What are your thoughts on Jefferson’s clear confidence in Darnold?
Do you think Darnold will take advantage of his opportunity and surprise some people?
Or do you think he’ll prove to be what some critics believe he’s always been: a career backup who can’t be counted on to consistently win games at the NFL level???