The Minnesota Vikings continue to watch Justin Jefferson put up astounding numbers. This time, the fifth-year receiver joined an exclusive list with a 99-yard game against the Arizona Cardinals.
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Jefferson entered Sunday's game with 939 yards on the season. He reached 1,038 as the Vikings mounted a comeback and beat the Cardinals 23-22. He became only the fourth wide receiver in NFL history to top 1,000 yards in the first five seasons of a career.
This milestone moment occurred two weeks after Jefferson broke Torry Holt's NFL record for the most receiving yards in the first five seasons of a career.
The other three receivers to top 1,000 yards in their first five seasons were Mike Evans, Randy Moss, and AJ Green. How does Jefferson stack up against this group of receivers? Let's compare the numbers.
The catch that put Justin Jefferson over 1,000 receiving yards this season:pic.twitter.com/MHSYNL7rbq
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) December 1, 2024
Moss, who started his career with the Vikings, ended his rookie campaign with 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns in 1998. He followed it up with 1,413 yards in 1999, 1,437 yards in 2000, 1,233 yards in 2001, and 1,347 yards in 2002. He averaged 1,348.6 yards over this stretch.
Moss started his career with six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons before missing the mark in 2004.
Green began his career with the Bengals in 2011. He reached 1,057 yards as a rookie and followed it up with 1,350 yards as a sophomore. Green continued his NFL career with 1,426 yards in 2013, 1,041 yards in 2014, and 1,297 yards in 2015.
Green fell short of 1,000 yards in 2016 after averaging 1,234.2 yards in his first five seasons.
Evans began his career with the Buccaneers in 2014. He posted 1,051 yards as a rookie. He continued his career with 1,206 yards in 2015, 1,321 yards in 2016, 1,001 yards in 2017, and 1,524 yards in 2018. He averaged 1,220.6 yards over this five-season stretch.
Evans has topped 1,000 yards in 10 straight seasons while continuing to be a playmaker for the Buccaneers.
Jefferson, for comparison, kicked off his career in 2020 with 1,400 yards. He reached 1,616 yards in 2021, 1,809 yards in 2022, and 1,074 yards in 2023. He has five more games to add to his 2024 total as the 10-2 Vikings push toward a playoff spot.
As it stands exiting the Cardinals game, Jefferson has averaged 1,387.4 yards over five seasons.
