Since the second Justin Jefferson stepped foot on the field for the Minnesota Vikings after being taken with the 22nd overall pick in the opening round of the 2020 draft, he's been an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses.
While he fell just a touch short of the all-time NFL rookie record for receiving yards, he did set the franchise record in that department, tallying 1,400 yards on 88 receptions to break the mark previously held by Randy Moss, who went for 1,313 in 1998.
Just two years later, Jefferson had his best campaign to date and again knocked Moss down a peg in the Minnesota record books, recording 1,809 yards to set the new single-season franchise record, which Moss had set in 2003 with what ultimately turned out to be a career-high 1,632.
While other marks have fallen as well, one of which we'll circle back to momentarily, one of the things fans should keep an eye on during the 2026 campaign is Jefferson surpassing Moss for second place on the Vikings' all-time receiving yards list, as he needs just 837 yards to do so.
- Cris Carter: 12,383
- Randy Moss: 9,316
- Justin Jefferson: 8,480
As you can see, Cris Carter leads the way, and Jefferson still has a few years before he can think about that top spot. But Moss is obviously within reach, and one of the Vikings' most high-profile games of the 2026 season, that being their Mexico City matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, could serve as the stage for Jefferson's history-making moment.
Justin Jefferson's career average sets him up to surpass Minnesota Vikings legend Randy Moss in Mexico City
While the NFL didn't drop the full 2026 regular-season schedule until Thursday, a rumor floated around a few days earlier that the Vikings would be taking on the Niners in Mexico City in Week 11.
And when the full slate was eventually released, that rumor turned out to be true, as Minnesota and San Francisco will indeed battle at Estadio Banorte in the prime-time slot on Sunday Night Football on November 22.
Throughout the course of his six-year career, Jefferson has averaged 90.2 yards per game. So, if that average plays out (and he doesn't get injured, of course), that means he'd surpass Moss in the Vikings' 10th game of the 2026 campaign. As such, with Minnesota having an early bye in Week 6, that 10th game would obviously be the Mexico matchup with San Francisco.
So, that could be fun.
Now, as mentioned, Jefferson fell shy of the NFL rookie record for receiving yards. However, in the years that followed, he set the marks for the most receiving yards by a player through his first two seasons (3,016), three seasons (4,825), four seasons (5,899), and five seasons (7,432).
And just this past December, while it took far longer than it should have given the QB issues the Vikings faced in 2025, Jefferson also set the new six-season mark, once again knocking out Moss, who held the previous record at 8,375 yards.
As you saw above, Jefferson now has 8,480 yards for his career, and with 1,008 yards in 2026, he'll set the new seven-season mark, which currently belongs to Torry Holt (9,487). Moss sits in third on that list at 9,142, so we'll certainly be keeping an eye on that as well.
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