Kyler Murray has only started three games for the Minnesota Vikings, but for some, it’s been three too many.
Murray has put up underwhelming stats in his first three starts, completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 433 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions, but the one thing he hasn’t had much of is Justin Jefferson on the field.
According to Pro Football Focus’s snap counts, Jefferson and Murray have played just 18 snaps together in the Vikings’ first four games. But in those snaps, Jefferson has four catches for 43 yards.
With Jefferson being listed as questionable to play in Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints after missing last week’s win over the Miami Dolphins with an ankle injury, he obviously could give a big boost to the offense. But it could also be a massive boost for Murray, who is still trying to establish himself as he prepares for Week 5.
Kyler Murray and Justin Jefferson must establish chemistry for the Vikings in Week 5
The Murray-to-Jefferson connection was something Kevin O’Connell had in mind when he was looking for a new quarterback last offseason.
J.J. McCarthy played 10 games with Jefferson last season, but the two never established a rapport, with McCarthy posting a 42.9 passer rating and throwing seven of his 12 interceptions when targeting Jefferson.
This was a big problem, as Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, and Carson Wentz all had QB ratings over 90 when targeting Jefferson throughout their time in Minnesota, and it’s why Murray was the favorite to win the job over McCarthy entering training camp. However, the two haven’t been on the field long enough to solve the issue.
Quarterback | Completion Percentage | Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | Passer Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kirk Cousins | 65.3 | 5,385 | 28 | 14 | 103.6 |
Sam Darnold | 62.4 | 1,533 | 10 | 5 | 98.2 |
Carson Wentz | 65.6 | 613 | 2 | 2 | 92.4 |
J.J. McCarthy | 52.5 | 484 | 2 | 7 | 42.92 |
The problem began during the early weeks of training camp when O’Connell staged a quarterback competition between Murray and McCarthy.
Whatever reason O’Connell had for the competition, Murray was always the favorite to win the job, but still had to split reps with a quarterback who would eventually be traded to the New York Giants for a fifth-round pick.
The duo still had a month to get ready for the regular season, and in the opener against the Green Bay Packers, Murray found Jefferson early, connecting with him on a nine-yard completion and a two-yard completion.
But whatever momentum was After the first four games of the 20226 season, the Minnesota Vikings have yet to see what Justin Jefferson and Kyler Murray can do on the field together building was halted when Murray suffered a concussion and missed the following week’s win over the Chicago Bears.
The Vikings did what they could with Wentz to win that game and Murray returned for a Week 3 game against the Buccaneers. While Murray completed a 22-yard pass that looked like a staple of O’Connell’s offense and later hit Jefferson on a 10-yard screen, Jefferson injured his ankle on the latter reception, knocking him out of last week’s game against the Dolphins.
Four catches in 18 snaps on the field give a pretty good idea of where Murray wants to go with the ball. But without Jefferson on the field, it becomes a big problem.
Some of that falls on O’Connell’s playcalling, but Murray predictably has struggled since, completing just 41-of-67 passes (61.1 percent) for 390 yards to other players on the roster.
Justin Jefferson’s potential return is another reason to use patience with Kyler Murray
This sounds obvious because the Vikings' offense is better when Jefferson is on the field. But it should be one of the key reasons why Murray has struggled to this point.
When Darnold took over in 2024, he split reps until McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in the preseason game, and both established a chemistry that allowed Jefferson to catch 103 passes for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 season.
Cousins also established elite chemistry with Jefferson thanks to their durability as the two combined for 324 receptions for 4,825 yards and 25 touchdowns in their first three seasons before Cousins tore his Achilles and Jefferson suffered a severe hamstring injury during the 2023 season.
That time is something that Murray has not had with his top weapon on the field, and after looking more comfortable in the second half against the Dolphins last week, having Jefferson back should only help that development.
For a team that’s looking for something to spark their offense, it makes Jefferson’s return an even bigger deal and could send Murray and the Vikings offense out on a high note as they head into their bye in Week 6.
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