Jefferson backs Darnold, says Vikings don't need 'drastic moves'
Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson liked what he saw from Minnesota in 2024 and believes the team is "right there" ahead of the 2025 offseason.
"There's key things that we need to do, things we need to look into, and key moves that we need to make this offseason," the star wideout said, according to Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper. "I don't think it's really drastic moves. I just feel like it's just one, two pieces here and there that we need to overcome.
"I feel like just dominating the way we dominated on the offensive side of the ball - we just need to do it more consistently."
The Vikings were one of the 2024 season's biggest surprises after posting a 14-3 record after going 7-10 in 2023. Despite the impressive campaign, Minnesota finished behind the 15-2 Lions in the NFC North after losing to Detroit in a blockbuster regular-season finale for the division title and NFC's No. 1 seed. Instead, the Vikings advanced as the 5-seed and lost 27-9 to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round.
Minnesota's biggest question right now is at quarterback: It remains unclear whether the team will ride with Sam Darnold again or turn to J.J. McCarthy.
Darnold - a former top-three pick who joined the Vikings on a one-year contract after struggling in previous seasons - posted a career year in 2024, passing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. He's now projected to be worth an average annual salary of roughly $40.1 million, according to Spotrac.
If the Vikings opt not to reward Darnold, they'll go with McCarthy, whom they drafted 10th overall in 2024. The Michigan product was expected to compete for the QB1 job as a rookie but sustained a season-ending knee injury in August.
"(Darnold has) earned the right to be a free agent, but we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell recently said, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert.
"I think it was a very special year for Sam. And what that earned him is, everybody in our league now thinks he's a bona fide legitimate starting quarterback," the 2024 Coach of the Year added.
Jefferson told USA Today's Cydney Henderson he "would love to have Sam back."
In addition to Darnold, safety Harrison Smith, cornerback Byron Murphy, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, safety Cam Bynum, and running back Aaron Jones headline the team's list of 2025 free agents.
The Vikings are projected to have $58 million in salary cap space.