Kevin O’Connell critiques Justin Jefferson’s Griddy after first taunting penalty

Since taking the NFL by storm, Justin Jefferson’s iconic Griddy touchdown celebration has blown up, helping the Minnesota Vikings wide receiver become one of the league’s most recognizable players.

In a surprising twist during this past Sunday’s slate, Jefferson was flagged for taunting after doing his dance. It marked the first time he’s been penalized for doing that familiar dance, as something was in the air in Seattle.

At the time, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell could be seen questioning an official about the head-scratching penalty immediately afterward. It seems like Jefferson drew the flag for doing his celebration while looking right at Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, so perhaps that explains it. Still, it was a shock to the system.

Afterwards, O’Connell tried to make sense of the situation, considering whether the Griddy is now something Jefferson will have to skip whenever he scores a touchdown.

“Yeah, that was an interesting one,” O’Connell responded, during his postgame press conference. “I’ll defer to, you know, (officials) saw what they saw. We’ve gotta be smart about the direction at which we Griddy, I guess.”

A little bit of a tongue in cheek answer from O’Connell, but who could blame him. Regardless, the Vikings were all smiles after their win in Seattle, as they continue their hunt for the NFC North crown and the top seed in the NFC at 13-2 on the season.

As for Jefferson, he’s been his usual, incredible self throughout the season, and he’s turned it on over the past few weeks. Sunday’s game was just another example of his abilities, as the Minnesota star caught seven passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-winner late in the contest against Seattle.

He’ll be hoping to continue his hot play over the final two weeks of the regular season. Justin Jefferson’s Vikings have some tough divisional opponents on the docket, facing the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions to finish out the 2024 regular season campaign. We’ll see if the Griddy is allowed.