Minnesota Vikings legend Cris Carter has high expectations for star WR Justin Jefferson in 2023.
Justin Jefferson led all NFL receivers in receptions (128), total yards (1,809), and yards per game (106.4) last season. Kirk Cousins set the table and Jefferson feasted every week. The Minnesota Vikings ranked near the top of the NFL in total receiving yards, behind only the Chiefs.
That's an impressive list of accomplishments. If Jefferson never once repeated his level of production from last season, nobody could blame him. That's one of the best receiving seasons in league history.
For Jefferson, however, it's only a launching point. He's 24 years old, on the verge of his fourth NFL season with plenty of room for individual skill growth. And, according to Vikings legend Cris Carter, fans should be excited about what the new season holds for Jefferson.
Minnesota Vikings legend Cris Carter hypes up Justin Jefferson
Cris Carter spent the 90s tearing up defenses with Minnesota. He made eight straight Pro Bowls from 1993-2000 with over 1,000 receiving yards in every season. If anybody has a feel for what it takes to dominate the league from that position, it's him.
Jefferson is following in Carter's footsteps with Minny, already on track for a historic career of his own barring injury. The Vikings have a very talented QB in Cousins, but it's not like Jefferson was working with the best arm in football during his historic 2022 season. His quick-twitch athleticism in the open field makes him virtually impossible to defend one-on-one. Plenty of questionable throws from Cousins were salvaged by Jefferson's superhuman aerial acrobatics.
The man should talk to Tom Cruise about starring in the next Mission: Impossible film with the amount of time he spends suspended in midair. And, if Carter is to be believed, Jefferson has added more tools to his toolkit, the depths of which we mere mortals cannot begin the fathom.
The Vikings finished last season 13-4, good enough for first place in the NFC North. With Aaron Rodgers cleared out of the division, there's an imminently clear path back to No. 1 in the new season. If Jefferson can match or, god forbid, exceed his production from last season, that will all but insure it.
Minnesota will face the burden of expectation in 2023, but Jefferson is more than up to the task. He's the undisputed best player at his position — and a 99 overall in Madden, for good measure. It's only reasonable to expect another productive campaign from the LSU product.