Justin Jefferson Becomes Fifth Player Ever With 1,000 Receiving Yards in First 12 Games
With 121 yards against the Jaguars, Vikings rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson has made history. He becomes the fifth player in NFL history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in the first 12 games of their career.
Vikings legend Randy Moss was the first to do it back in 1998. Anquan Boldin, Marques Colston, and Odell Beckham Jr. were the only players to reach that feat over the past 20 years. Now Jefferson is the fifth member of that group.
Jefferson reached the mark on a 20-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter, the seventh TD of his young career. Later in the dramatic OT win over the Jaguars, Jefferson tied Anthony Carter's Vikings record with five 100-yard games as a rookie.
Earlier in the third quarter, Jefferson made a highlight play on a 40-yard catch down the sideline. The first-round pick from LSU has been making big plays for the Vikings ever since being inserted into the starting lineup in Week 3 against the Titans.
Just 12 games into the 2020 season, it's hard to imagine that a number of NFL teams aren't kicking themselves for letting Jefferson fall to the Vikings at No. 22 overall. He was the fifth receiver off of the board in April's draft despite having a huge final season in college and testing well at the combine.
There's a long way to go, but Jefferson has been the best rookie receiver in the NFL by a wide margin this year. Not only that, but he's been historically good for a rookie wideout.
Jefferson etched his name into the history books on Sunday, and it likely won't be the last time he does so.
Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis. Also, click the follow button in the upper right-hand corner of this page (mobile users, tap the bell icon – you may have to click ‘News’ first), leave comments below, and follow me on Twitter.
