Justin Jefferson did not hesitate when asked the quiet part out loud when it relates to the Minnesota Vikings and their quarterbacks. Could this have been the Vikings in the Super Bowl if Sam Darnold stayed?
“Yeah, for sure. Definitely,” Jefferson said in a recent interview with USA Today.
It was an honest answer, and one that now lands differently in Minnesota, where the Vikings are coming off a 9-8 season, missed the playoffs and the stunning firing of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, just months after a contract extension.
Darnold, meanwhile, is preparing to play in Super Bowl LX in his first season with the Seattle Seahawks.
Jefferson’s comments were not necessarily a shot at Minnesota’s current quarterback room. Instead, they reflected the reality of a season that unraveled after the Vikings chose not to re-sign the quarterback who had helped guide them to a 14-3 record in 2024.
Darnold arrived in Minnesota as a temporary solution while the organization waited on first-round pick J.J. McCarthy’s recovery from a knee injury. When McCarthy went down for the year, Darnold delivered the best season of his career, throwing for more than 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns and leading one of the most productive offenses in the league.
The long-term plan, however, never changed. Minnesota turned the offense over to McCarthy in 2025, and the results were uneven. McCarthy’s injuries and inconsistency pressed veteran Carson Wentz and rookie Max Brosmer into action, and the Vikings’ offense fell from ninth in scoring to 26th. Minnesota ended the regular season on a five-game win streak, but narrowly missed out on the playoffs.
Seattle took the opposite path. The Seahawks signed Darnold to a three-year deal, watched him earn another Pro Bowl nod and rode a balanced roster to a franchise-record 14 wins and a Super Bowl berth.
For Jefferson, the difference was familiarity and stability — something the Vikings rarely had under center in 2025.
“Everyone knows the difficulty of the quarterback position this year, of how we were dealt it,” Jefferson said. “But having a quarterback that already had a season under his belt with us, knew the plays, knew the playbook, knew the players — throwing to me, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, all these guys — I definitely feel like we would have done better. But it is what it is. It’s on to new and better things, but I’m definitely happy and proud for him that he was able to reach it this year.”
Watching Darnold reach the Super Bowl has stirred conflicting emotions for Jefferson, who admitted it hasn’t been easy seeing another team enjoy the success Minnesota hoped to chase.
“It’s definitely tough. It’s tough to watch,” Jefferson said. “I love that he’s in the Super Bowl. I’m happy for him, I want nothing but the best for him, especially the way his journey was at first, people doubting him and people not giving him the respect. Now they’re giving him the respect. Now they’re seeing that he’s a top-tier quarterback in this league. Of course, selfishly I wish he had done that for us last year, but to see him blossom and bounce back right after last year and make it this year, I’m happy for him and I hope he wins.”
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