Justin Jefferson Reveals Biggest Improvement He's Seen From J.J. McCarthy

J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray have been the focus throughout the Vikings' offseason activities. That spotlight hasn't let up as minicamp came to a close on Thursday. With just one more set of offseason workouts on the schedule next week, the talk about the two QBs is about development amid a competition.

When asked about what he's seen from the two quarterbacks vying to throw him the ball this season, star receiver Justin Jefferson simply said, "Growth."

"Obviously, having a new quarterback in Kyler and just trying to work with him, build that connection with him," said Jefferson. "Obviously, working with J.J. and seeing the impact, and the growth, and the improvements he has made, it's definitely tremendous. I'm seeing great work out of everybody in this whole entire training camp. I'm really glad to see everybody here and working as a team, building that team camaraderie early. So, it's just great to see everybody."

LIVE: WR Justin Jefferson talks to media after minicamp https://t.co/LhxKbleIXg
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) June 11, 2026

When asked about the development he's seen from the embattled McCarthy, Jefferson noted he's seen "a lot" of change from the former No. 10 overall pick, most importantly on the touch he's now putting on passes.

"Being a young a quarterback in this league and having a year under his belt, you get to learn a couple things," said Jefferson "You get to learn how to be a professional. How to take care of your body. How to take care of your arm and obviously how to take care of your mind. So, I feel like he's definitely gotten a little bit smarter in reading the different coverages, understanding the different throws he's making. Everything doesn't have to be 100 miles per hour; some throws you can put a little touch on them and get it to the spot. That is one of his most impactful improvements that he has made."

After a weekend break, Vikings players will return to TCO Performance Center June 15-18 for one last set of offseason workouts before they break until training camp in late July. Jefferson said he doesn't plan to check out during the summer break completely and that he plans on working with both quarterbacks before training camp.

"Definitely just carrying on what we have been doing for the past couple of weeks. And just continuing that throughout the summertime. It definitely will be impactful," he said.

Murray expressed frustration on Wednesday with having to split reps as he attempts to pick up the complicated Vikings' offense. When asked about his assessment of how Murray is catching on, Jefferson said he "understood" the former No. 1 overall pick's sentiment.

"I definitely understand his difficulty of understanding some things," said Jefferson. "Just because this offense is difficult, especially going against our defense. Seeing the different coverages. Seeing the roles, the disguises that our defense does. It's really going to help him out when the season comes, if he's the starting quarterback."

When asked if he'll weigh in when it comes time for the Vikings to pick a starter, Jefferson deflected and said that's a coaching decision.

"I feel like at the end of the day, it's going to be more of a coach's call," said Jefferson. "Just from what they see in training camp. The different plays they're making. The adjustments. Being a leader. Being a vocal leader. All those different things that goes into what we're looking for. At the end of the day, somebody is going to have that job. Whether it's Kyler or whether it's J.J., so it's just all about working with both of them to make sure that whoever is the starter, we're dialed in and ready to go. The connection, the relationship, all of that is dialed in and ready to go when the season starts."

Add us as a preferred source on Google