Jefferson Sees Murray as Spark Vikings Needed, Pushes McCarthy to Step Up

Justin Jefferson talked on Monday about how Kyler Murray impacts the Vikings' offense, while also pushing for big improvement from J.J. McCarthy.

Kyler Murray (left), J.J. McCarthy (middle), Justin Jefferson (right) | Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images (left), © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images (right)

At times on Monday, Justin Jefferson talked like a receiver who already knows who's going to be throwing him the ball this season. At other times, he toed the company line of selling the upcoming quarterback competition in Minnesota.

Speaking to the Twin Cities media for the first time in a few months, Jefferson admitted his excitement about teaming up with dynamic quarterback Kyler Murray. However, he wasn't brushing off the potential of J.J. McCarthy as the team's QB going forward, even after the Vikings signed a two-time Pro Bowler and former No. 1 overall pick to a one-year deal this offseason.

"My first reaction was it's really good to get some good talent in the room," Jefferson said of the Murray addition. "To give a little spark in that room, to see a competitive edge, and for those guys to lock in and do what we're expecting them to do, which is to come in and be that guy. You know, we need that one guy for this team. I'm definitely excited for that room. Excited to see what those guys have in store for us in training camp."

In the weeks since Murray chose to sign in Minnesota, Vikings brass has been unwilling to name a starter, only saying they're looking forward to a competitive quarterback room. That's the view on the inside. On the outside, it's widely expected that Murray, a veteran QB looking to jump-start his career after a few injury-marred seasons, will be named the starter in Minnesota. After all, it was McCarthy's struggles in 2025 that led the front office to pursue a veteran this offseason in the first place.

Jefferson said the team kept him in the loop throughout the search for a veteran QB. However, he said he was not involved in the final decision, though he appreciated that the team kept him informed during the process.

Kyler Murray | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

On what he's looking forward to most when taking the field with Murray, Jefferson couldn't hide his excitement for the big-play potential.

"Yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to those big, exciting plays," said Jefferson. "Definitely looking forward to his speed, his quickness, his arm strength that he's shown countless times over the years."

The star receiver noted that Murray's ability to scramble and extend plays will open up opportunities downfield and free him up from running against so many double coverages. However, Jefferson didn't let his excitement take over. He was quick to point out that Murray's presence in the Vikings' QB room puts pressure on McCarthy to "step it up a little bit."

"It's good for him to feel that type of pressure and really lock in a little bit and say, 'It's either now or I'm going to take that backseat again,'" Jefferson said on McCarthy. "So, it's all a competitive mindset when it comes to these types of things. It's all about who's ready to step up and who's ready to take that initiative."

Excited for the competition in the QB room this offseason. pic.twitter.com/qEUHJVAQLN

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 20, 2026

When pressed about how important it was for him to know who the starter was going to be, Jefferson didn't budge, saying the team won't know until after training camp. In the meantime, Jefferson is focusing on working with everybody "as much as possible" and building relationships with all of the quarterbacks.

When prompted by a reporter, Jefferson said Murray's addition to the Vikings' QB room "for sure" puts Minnesota back in the Super Bowl conversation. Again though, Jefferson said the addition of Murray should spark competition in the QB room, which will in turn drive the team to success, unwilling to put all of the return to relevance on the former Arizona quarterback's shoulders.

"We have great talent in that room," said Jefferson. "Especially for J.J. to get that spark in him and for Kyler to come from Arizona and to continue that spark and go through this new journey with him."

Working with McCarthy

Following a difficult 2025 season, Jefferson said it would be important for him and McCarthy to get together this offseason, in order to work through some of the things that hampered the team's offense. So far, Jefferson said he's liked what he's seen from workouts with the young QB, adding, "it's going very well."

"Just trying to continue meeting up with him, creating that timing, creating that connection, building on those types of things," said Jefferson on his offseason meetups with McCarthy. "Talking to him about the different things he should work on, different things I should work on. Just keeping that connection and that relationship is the big thing. So, we'll continue to do that, continue to work with Kyler and all of the quarterbacks that I can work with, just so we know that connection is top tier when we start training camp."

Justin Jefferson and J.J. McCarthy | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

While he wouldn't divulge exactly where the duo has been working out, Jefferson did note that they have been mostly getting together in Minnesota. When asked what they work on, Jefferson said the focus has been more on timing and understanding McCarthy's throwing style over just getting in routes.

"It's all about feeling the ball, seeing the ball coming out of his hand and then just feeling the impact and the velocity of his football," continued Jefferson. "It's just great to get that timing down pat. Of course, starting way earlier now than starting in training camp."

McCarthy and Jefferson struggled to build a connection on the field in 2025. Notably, Jefferson had bouts of drops on some of McCarthy's throws, while McCarthy had misplaced throws either behind or too high for Jefferson during a trying season. Jefferson said it "feels good working with him," when talking about their offseason get-togethers.

"I am looking at the timing of when he's throwing the ball, the location where he's throwing the ball," said Jefferson on the improvement he's seen in McCarthy this offseason. "I feel like he's a lot more confident in where I'm going to be at and how fast I'm going to get there. What timing to throw that ball before I break, he's kind of understanding all of that. It comes with time. It comes with just seeing it, repetition, and seeing it over and over again. By this time next year, he's going to be a totally different quarterback than he is now."