In the NFL, an 0-3 start almost certainly means you won’t be making the postseason. Just one team has accomplished the feat since 1999, when the 2018 Texans were able to completely turn things around and finish the season 11-5. However, the NFL only had a 16-game season then. Now it’s a 17-game season, giving teams an extra chance to overcome the odds. Even still, some fans of 0-3 teams are already looking ahead to next season. Don’t tell Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson that, though.
Jefferson, the star Minnesota Vikings wide receiver and NFL receiving yards leader so far this season, spoke out Thursday about how he’s still focused on this season in light of trade rumors surrounding himself and his teammates.
“I’m tired of people saying that we’re looking into next season or all of the trades and stuff like that,” Jefferson said. “We’re focused still on this season. We have a lot more games to go and we have a lot more things to accomplish this season. We’re still focused in, and we still have the same goal as we had before the season. We just need to fix a few things and I feel like we’ll be back on track.”
Jefferson would likely fetch the Vikings one of the biggest trade returns in NFL history, as the fourth-year receiver is already past the 5,000 career-yard threshold, tying Lance Alworth for the quickest to ever reach that number (52 games). His contract is set to expire after the 2024 season, but Minnesota will almost certainly sign him to a likely record-breaking extension.
[ESPN]
About Robert O'Neill