As Justin Jefferson prepares to play his first game with Sam Darnold on Sunday, his message to his new quarterback is a simple one: help me help you. Jefferson has done all he can this offseason to boost Darnold's confidence and establish a belief that he's going to make plays for him even when he doesn't appear to be open. Basically, the Vikings' superstar just wants Darnold to trust him.
"Catch the ball, that's my job," Jefferson told Kay Adams. "Make those tough catches look a little easier. Not mattering where he throws that ball, as long as it's in my catch radius, I'm gonna go up and make a play. Having that confidence in me to give me those opportunities to make a play for us.
"Every single day, I try to give him that confidence, that extra boost of confidence to trust me at any moment. Even when the game's on the line and you need a play, you already know 18 is gonna go up and make a play for us. That's the confidence I try to install before we even get started into the season. I feel like we've been making progress, the communication and chemistry has been building this whole entire training camp."
Darnold has never been in a better situation in the NFL than the one he finds himself in with the Vikings this year. That's because of Kevin O'Connell and the coaching staff around him, and because of the players he's going to share the field with — none of whom are more important than Jefferson. Darnold has never played with a receiver of this caliber. It's going to be important for him to execute the offense and get everyone involved, but make no mistake, it all starts with Minnesota's best player.
Jefferson, who can become the fastest player ever to reach 6,000 receiving yards if he gets 101 against the Giants on Sunday, showed last year that he doesn't need Kirk Cousins to produce at a high level. He tore up the Lions in two games last December with Nick Mullens throwing him the ball. Jefferson's all-world talent makes him any quarterback's best friend.
Obviously, Jefferson put up incredible, record-breaking numbers with Cousins as his quarterback. But there may have been some times where Kirk — who always tried to go where his reads and the defense took him — could've given Jefferson even more contested opportunities. A certain 4th and 8 play that ended the 2022 season comes to mind.
"I want it to be the same for them to have the confidence in me to go and make a play, just like Kirk did in those opportunities and those situations," Jefferson said, via The Star Tribune's Ben Goessling. "I low-key want them to have more confidence than what Kirk had."
