Sam Darnold is in the middle of the most successful season of his NFL career, and after helping the Minnesota Vikings get back on track last week, he'll attempt to lead the team to its seventh win of the 2024 campaign when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Plenty of people have been surprised by what Darnold has already been able to accomplish in his first year with the Vikings, and on Wednesday, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson was asked why things are finally clicking for the veteran quarterback this season.
Pederson responded with a simple two-word answer that he clearly believed was just incredibly hilarious.
"Justin Jefferson."
No one on the Jacksonville Jaguars should be making jokes about Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold
Pederson gave himself a good laugh with his attempt at a joke on Wednesday, but the smile he displayed isn't something that's been seen frequently this season as the head coach of a 2-7 Jacksonville team.
The Jaguars are one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, and there's a good chance that Pederson isn't going to be the team's head coach in a few months. So while he was laughing on Wednesday, his third year with Jacksonville has been no laughing matter.
After his joke attempt, Pederson did try to give an actual answer to the question about Darnold finally reaching his potential this season.
"I think the talent around him, that helps. Having the run game, the defense, the way the defense has played. Being in system and the way he calls plays is helpful.
And look, he's always been a solid quarterback. Whatever team or role he's on, I just think now he's learning, maturing, and showing that he's capable of doing it, and that's what you're seeing on film."
Again, while he did elaborate beyond just "Justin Jefferson" with this answer, the Jacksonville head coach still seemed to credit just about everyone else besides Darnold for the quarterback's success this year.
One could interpret his response as him pretty much saying that a lot of quarterbacks could succeed in Minnesota this season with the way they have everything set up. Perhaps that's somewhat true, but we also saw last year how much Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens struggled despite having a lot of the same tools and help that Darnold has with the Vikings this season.
Minnesota has a 6-2 record heading into Week 10 and Darnold's performance is a big reason why. And while he's not the Vikings' long-term plan at the quarterback position, he's had plenty of moments this season where he's proven why he was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.