Entering his seventh NFL season, Justin Jefferson is now the proverbial "veteran guy" in the Minnesota Vikings' wide receiver room. Among the others on the roster, only Jauan Jennings -- who, of course, signed this offseason -- has played at least five seasons.
Jefferson has always been an example for his teammates in terms of work ethic and how to conduct themselves through the inevitable frustrations that arise (like last season). As his peers around the league continually show their warts on that front, he's the quintessential "anti-diva" elite-tier wide receiver through what has been a carousel of Vikings' quarterbacks in recent years.
There may be a line that's crossed where Jefferson can no longer hide his frustration, but it isn't here yet and there's every reason to believe he'll get back to his typical production this season.
The final three seasons of Adam Thielen’s first, lengthy stint with the Vikings overlapped with Jefferson’s first three seasons, from 2020 to 2022. He was re-acquired in August of 2025, so he had an opportunity to see how the Vikings' star receiver had evolved.
Kevin O’Connell has a uniquely grounded superstar in Justin Jefferson
During an appearance on Friday's edition of "Good Morning Football," Thielen was asked about the changes he saw in Jefferson over the two stints he spent with him/
"Maturity, leadership, like unbelievable," Thielen said. "When I was with him the first time, he ... shocked me on how mature he was at that point, but still, he was 23 years old , 22 years old, he was young, I don't think he was that, he was 21 (as a rookie), actually.
"And now, his leadership and the way that he is mentoring guys. Like when I came back into the wide receiver room, just to hear him talk in the meetings and how he was talking to the young guys, the practice squad guys. And talking about why he does things, what he sees. It's incredible."
Thielen then mentioned how he'd talk to head coach Kevin O'Connell about how unique Jefferson is among superstars.
"Most superstars are not like Justin Jefferson. The way he shows up, the way he practices, the way he treats people, the way he treats people in the building, not just players and coaches. It's really impressive."
Thielen didn't say anything everyone attached to the Vikings, from those in the building all the way down to fans, doesn't already know about Jefferson. But the perspective of a former teammate who played the same position, and thus had a closer look than most people, hits a little more meaningfully.
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