Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson has become the best young pass catcher the franchise has had since Randy Moss. Maybe Jefferson is every bit as good as Moss was.
On Sunday, Jefferson racked up the 11th 100-yard receiving game of his career. It’s his eleventh in two seasons, matching Moss and Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for second in the Super Bowl era. Jefferson has seven games left to add to his total; the record is held by Odell Beckham Jr., who did it fifteen times in his first two years with the Giants.
Jefferson, who wears the number Moss wore in his rookie preseason in Minnesota, started the day wearing a Randy Moss T-shirt in pregame warmups. I asked Jefferson after the game to describe his relationship with the Hall of Famer who spent his first seven seasons in Minnesota.
“I mean, not a big enough relationship as I want to,” Jefferson said. “I admire him so much. Classified as one of the best if not the best receiver in history. Definitely trying to follow behind him. Definitely want that gold jacket.”
Jefferson will definitely get that gold jacket, if he keeps doing what he’s been doing. And as he does it, he’ll become a player that others will try to emulate.
“I try to be my own guy, but I like to put a couple other players’ moves like releases in my own game,” Jefferson said. “I try to be like myself. Just try to act like myself, play like myself. I feel like I have that confidence.”
Hopefully, he’ll also have that relationship with Moss, too. After seeing Jefferson in that Moss T-shirt on Sunday, maybe Moss will give him a call.