Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson has made many adversaries in his climb to becoming the NFL’s top wide receiver — and Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions marks a reunion with one of his oldest rivals.
Lions cornerback Amik Robertson, who grew up in Louisiana less than an hour from Jefferson, faced the Vikings superstar at every step of their football journeys from high school to the NFL.
A 2020 fourth-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders, Robertson briefly crossed paths with Jefferson when the Vikings visited the Raiders last season; although Jefferson exited the game with a chest injury in the first half and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
Fate seems to have brought the two together again.
Jefferson signed a lucrative contract extension that will keep him in Minnesota through the 2028 season, while Robertson signed a two-year, deal with the Lions. Their teams contend for the NFC North division title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs in the final game of the regular season on “Sunday Night Football.”
With respect, Robertson promised no cozy reunion ahead of the biggest game of the season.
“We was rivals. We had some battles,” Robertson told the Detroit Free Press on December 31. “LSU camp, we had battles. College, when I went to Louisiana Tech my sophomore year we played. It’s history. He knows me, I know him, man. It ain’t like we best of buddies, but we respect each other’s game and I’m happy for him, man.
“He turned out to be one of the best players in the league. But those guys, man, I’m not backing down. I’m going to come with smoke just like I know he going to come with it. So it’s going to be a good matchup.”
Justin Jefferson Burned Robertson for a TD in Vikings, Lions’ First Meeting
If the Vikings and Lions’ Week 7 matchup is any indicator, it could be a long night for Robertson, who Jefferson scored a 25-yard touchdown on in the first meeting.
Robertson will be relied upon to be the primary cover man against Jefferson more this time around with starting outside corner Carlton Davis on injured reserve with a broken jaw.
“He’s explosive,” Robertson said this week, per 97.1 The Ticket. “He’s Jets, man. He’s going to do a little something, but it just can’t be too much.
“When we’re out there, we’re gonna compete. … And when it’s all over, we shake hands, ‘I’m proud of you,’ he said he’s been proud of me. That’s what it is. But of course, if we ever match up, it’s going to be fun to watch.”
Justin Jefferson Remains the Lions’ Kryptonite
While Robertson didn’t get too far ahead of himself in his reunion with Jefferson, Lions rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold did not keep the trash talk hushed ahead of the game.
“We’re a bad matchup for Minnesota,” Arnold told the Detroit Free Press. “We got cover guys. They got good receivers, but we got cover guys.”
Regardless of what Arnold thinks, stats don’t lie.
Jefferson has been a bane to the Lions defense since he entered the league. In nine career meetings, he’s totaled 1,154 yards receiving — the most against any single team in the league. His career-high 223 yards in a single game came against Detroit in 2022.
Last year, Jefferson put 141 and 192 yards on the Lions with Nick Mullens as his quarterback. The Vikings superstar is coming off a modest, by his standards, 81 yards and a touchdown against Detroit in Week 7, catching 7 of his 8 targets.
