Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is riding rarified air into his sixth NFL season.
The young superstar receiver is the only player to surpass 7,000 receiving yards in their first five seasons, totaling 7,432 yards, 495 catches and 40 touchdowns since entering the league in 2020.
His instant success is unrivaled, so when it came time to celebrate Jefferson on Monday, June 16, the Vikings made a statement that the NFL took notice of.
On Monday morning, the Vikings made a happy birthday announcement, celebrating Jefferson's 26th birthday on June 16 with a post on X.
But it wasn't candles and cake for the young superstar; it was crowns.
The announcement came with a crown emoji, which the official NFL account also used to note all of Jefferson's achievements before the age of 26.
"Things [Jefferson] did before turning 26," the post starts before noting his impressive achievements:
- Most 100+ yard receiving games before age 26 (34 games)
- Most receiving yards ever by a player before turning 26
- Only player in NFL history with 7,000+ receiving yards in his first five seasons
https://x.com/Vikings/status/1934615755397689583
These accolades were shared with a highlight video, which starts with Jefferson's iconic first touchdown in the NFL, where he split two Tennessee Titans cornerbacks before Griddying into the end zone.
https://x.com/NFL/status/1934659557005140037
The video chronologically plays through the biggest moments of Jefferson's career so far, which include Jefferson's immaculate one-handed catch against the Buffalo Bills in 2023.
Entering his age-26 season, Jefferson can surpass Anthony Carter as the third all-time leader in receiving yards for the Vikings. He should reach that mark early in the 2025 season with only 205 more yards to take the No. 3 spot.
But after that is when the true test of longevity will begin for Jefferson, who will only have Randy Moss' 9,316 franchise receiving yards and Cris Carter's 12,383-yard record left to chase.
