Over the first five seasons of his career, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was as "quarterback-proof" as it gets. If not for an injury that cost him seven games in 2023, he surely would've had at least 1,400 yards and been a top-10 fantasy wide receiver in each of those seasons.
So, in real-life or fantasy football terms, the move to J.J. McCarthy under center heading into last season was not a real cause for concern. That sentiment went out the window fairly quickly.
Jefferson had three 100-yard games last season, and all three were games McCarthy missed at least half of. If not for both of his touchdown catches coming from the young signal caller, his production in games with McCarthy would have looked even worse.
It was not an issue of volume, as Jefferson had the seventh-most targets in the league last season (141). But the quality of his targets was, of course, a major issue, and it really didn't matter who the quarterback was among McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer.
Jefferson consistently played the role of good soldier through his struggles last year, but another year with a struggling McCarthy under center might have broken him. So the Vikings had to do something to add a quarterback this offseason, and that something, as forecasted for weeks, is now officially Kyler Murray.
Kyler Murray is set to revive Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson as a fantasy football commodity
Despite Kevin O'Connell not being willing to declare it yet, everyone is operating as if Murray will be the Vikings' starting quarterback next season. The level of addition he is confirms, barring injury, it's not going to be a competition with McCarthy for the starting job. Beyond 2026 is to be determined.
Over Murray's last few seasons in Arizona, tight end Trey McBride became his No. 1 target. But when he last had an elite wide receiver, the results were very good.
In 2020, just as the world was shutting down due to COVID-19, the Cardinals acquired DeAndre Hopkins from the Houston Texans. That first season in Arizona, he had 115 receptions (on 160 targets) for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns on his way to finishing as a top-10 fantasy wide receiver across the board (WR4 in full PPR).
Injuries (to him and Murray) and a PED suspension set things off-course for Hopkins over his final two seasons in Arizona. But he had eight touchdowns over 10 games with Murray under center in 2021, and in five games with Murray in 2022, he averaged nearly 10 targets per game.
If things had come together differently, Hopkins might've had three really big seasons with Murray as his quarterback.
Now it's Jefferson's turn to be Murray's No.1 wide receiver, while also being firmly in his prime and regarded as one of the best in the league when he comes together with his new quarterback.
It can't get any worse than it was for Jefferson last season. But Murray knows what to do when he has a big-time wide receiver to throw to, and a comfortable return to the upper tier of fantasy receivers looms for 2026.