As the 2026 season approaches, Jefferson continues to anchor a Minnesota wide receiver corps that also features Jordan Addisonand free-agent addition Jauan Jennings.

EDGE Analysis

While Jefferson's status as the Vikings' top pass catcher is secure, it remains to be seen who will be throwing him the ball come Week 1. Newcomer Kyler Murray is on board to compete with incumbent J.J. McCarthy, and according to coach Kevin O'Connell it's possible that the team's looming QB competition could extend into the preseason, Kevin Seifert of ESPN reports. That said, Murray -- the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft -- is viewed as the favorite to win the job, and if that ends up being the outcome, he'd be Minnesota's fourth different Week 1 starter in the past four seasons. Subpar QB play hampered Jefferson's fantasy upside in 2025, but if Murray seizes the top job and engineers a bounce-back season of his own in the process, Jefferson stands to benefit.

Jefferson agreed to terms Friday on a contract restructure that frees up salary cap space for the Vikings, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Jefferson and left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) both agreed to restructures Friday, helping Minnesota achieve a more manageable salary cap situation ahead of the start of the legal tampering period on Monday. The star wide receiver, who will turn 27 in June, will likely spend the offseason focusing on building an increased rapport with quarterback J.J. McCarthy (hand), after the two struggled to get on the same page throughout the 2025 campaign. The Vikings have also been linked to numerous quarterbacks expected to be available in free agency as potential added competition for McCarthy.

Jefferson caught eight of 11 targets for 101 yards in Sunday's 16-3 win over the Packers.

EDGE Analysis

It's been a tough season for Jefferson due to the Vikings' issues at quarterback, but with his first 100-yard performance since Week 5, the superstar wideout was able to record his sixth straight 1,000-yard campaign to begin his career. Jefferson wraps up the year with an 84-1,048-2 line on 141 targets, the worst yardage and TD totals of his career, and one of Minnesota's biggest priorities this offseason will be finding a way to build chemistry between J.J. McCarthy (hand) and his most talented target.

Jefferson caught four of five targets for 30 yards in the Vikings' 23-10 win over the Lions on Christmas Day.

EDGE Analysis

Despite the limited production, Jefferson actually led Minnesota in catches, targets and receiving yards on a day in which rookie QB Max Brosmer threw for just 51 yards. The Vikings' issues under center have ruined Jefferson's season, and he still needs 53 more yards -- a mark he's failed to reach in five of the last six games -- to record his sixth straight 1,000-yard campaign. If J.J. McCarthy (hand) is able to suit up Week 18 against the Packers, Jefferson's odds of keeping his streak alive might be slightly improved.

Jefferson caught six of eight targets for 85 yards in Sunday's 16-13 win over the Giants.

EDGE Analysis

Jefferson's 57 first-half yards were already good for his second-highest full-game total in the past eight outings. J.J. McCarthy (hand) exited late in the first half, and Jefferson accounted for 28 of Max Brosmer's 52 passing yards after halftime. Jefferson's floor will continue to be far lower than he's accustomed to due to questionable quarterback play Thursday against the Lions, whether the Vikings get McCarthy back under center or start Brosmer.

Jefferson was held to two receptions on eight targets for 22 yards in Sunday's 34-26 win over the Cowboys.

EDGE Analysis

Jefferson stayed under 25 receiving yards for the third straight appearance despite the Vikings rattling off consecutive wins. The chemistry with QB J.J. McCarthy is simply not there at the moment, with the duo generating a 50 percent catch rate or worse during the wideout's three-game skid in fantasy. Jefferson had a prime opportunity to turn his fortunes around in the second half when McCarthy rifled a pass to the corner of the end zone that hit his star receiver in the hands before dropping harmlessly to the ground. Fantasy managers have no choice but to stick with Jefferson through his career-worst slump, as he possesses the skill to break out against the Giants next Sunday.

Jefferson caught two of four targets for 11 yards in Sunday's 31-0 win over the Commanders.

EDGE Analysis

For the second straight game, Jefferson failed to reach 20 receiving yards, but this time he didn't have an undrafted rookie under center as an excuse. J.J. McCarthy returned from a concussion in Week 14 and threw a career-high three TDs, but all three went to tight ends, while Jordan Addison was his top option with a 4-62-0 line on seven targets. Jefferson hasn't scored a touchdown himself since Week 9 and hasn't had a 100-yard performance since Week 5, but he gets another golden opportunity to break out in Week 15 against the Cowboys.

Jefferson was held to two receptions on four targets for four yards in Sunday's 26-0 loss to Seattle.

EDGE Analysis

The Vikings were forced to turn to undrafted rookie Max Brosmer with starter J.J. McCarthy (concussion) unavailable and backup Carson Wentz (shoulder) on injured reserve. The end result was even worse than expected with the third-stringer under center after Jefferson finished the shutout loss with a career-low four receiving yards. The horrid quarterback situation in Minnesota has damaged its star wideout's fantasy value in addition to its playoff hopes. The remaining hope for Jefferson's fantasy managers is that McCarthy can clear the league's concussion protocol by next Sunday's matchup against the Commanders, as he at least possesses the arm strength to take shots down the field towards his superstar receiver.

Jefferson brought in four of six targets for 48 yards in the Vikings' 23-6 loss to the Packers on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

It's small consolation for Jefferson's frustrated fantasy managers, but the star wideout either tied for the lead (receptions) or set the pace (receiving yards, targets) for the Vikings on the afternoon in all three major receiving categories. However, J.J. McCarthy's continued struggles led to Jefferson's third sub-50-yard effort in the last four contests, and there presently doesn't appear to be any light at the end of the tunnel for Minnesota's air attack. Jefferson's next matchup doesn't offer any solace, either, considering a Week 13 road matchup against the daunting Seahawks defense awaits next Sunday.

Jefferson caught five of nine targets for 61 yards in Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Bears.

EDGE Analysis

Jefferson accounted for 53 of J.J. McCarthy's 74 passing yards in the first half. All 76 of McCarthy's second-half passing yards came on Minnesota's go-ahead drive in the final minutes, which included an eight-yard catch by Jefferson. Unfortunately for the Vikings, Chicago answered with a game-winning field goal on the game's final possession. Jefferson is averaging just 54 receiving yards per game in McCarthy's five starts compared to 95 receiving yards in the five games started by Carson Wentz (shoulder). With Wentz done for the season, the Vikings will have little choice but to stick with the struggling McCarthy in Week 12 against the Packers.