McCarthy, Vikings value Jefferson's presence and leadership in offseason practices

EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings urged Justin Jefferson to fully participate in their offseason program, a commitment some established NFL stars aren't willing to make each spring.

The sixth-year wide receiver was already a step ahead of the coaching staff. This is a critical offseason for Jefferson and the Vikings, breaking in a new quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, so he was planning to make his attendance a priority.

''It's definitely important to gain a little bit of a sight of what the new year is coming to look like, to build that connection with my teammates and especially with my quarterback,'' Jefferson said after practice on Monday. ''It's definitely great to be out here early to kind of get into the feel.''

These late spring practices, known in league parlance as organized team activities, are when the basic installation of the playbook begins, even though only the three-day minicamp next week is contractually mandated. It's also a prime opportunity to build that rhythm and trust between the quarterback and his receivers.

''He's a tremendous talent, tremendous leader, but his leadership really shows up when he's here,'' said McCarthy, who accompanied Jefferson to a Timberwolves playoff game last month when they sat together in courtside seats. ''Just being able to get that chemistry building on and off the field has been invaluable.''

Jefferson, whose 7,432 receiving yards are the most in league history through a player's first five seasons, said he doesn't concern himself with the style or tendencies of who's throwing.

''As long as the ball gets close to my face, I'm going to try to catch it,'' he said. ''It doesn't matter how fast the ball is going, the spin of it or if it's coming from a lefty or a righty. My job is to catch the ball.''

What's most important to Jefferson is the quarterback learning to adjust to his route-running preferences, with an exceptional stride length and side-to-side agility that helps set him apart.

''It's that timing, those reps,'' McCarthy said. ''All of that has to be built up over time.''

Which is why Jefferson being around all the time is so valuable.

''He's an energy igniter of the whole building, and I think he's come back with a purpose and a mindset,'' coach Kevin O'Connell said. ''You hear his voice, you hear his interaction with teammates, and they just carry such a long way.''

Not just for the quarterback.

''The guys in that locker room know, 'If this guy, one of the best in the world at what he does, is pushing himself in May and June, I sure as heck better be doing the same thing,''' O'Connell said.

McCarthy, whose rookie season was spent entirely in the training room recovering from knee surgery, at least had some meaningful time in strategy meetings that helped him start to build the knowledge base in the offense even if he wasn't taking snaps on the field.

''I've been really surprised by some of the things that he does know. You're like, ‘Man, we covered that in a 10-minute burst in Week 11 last year. How do you remember that?''' O'Connell said. ''And then there's some other things where you're like, ‘Oh, I assumed he knew that.' So it's our job — baseline teaching and stacking days and layered learning so that we're constantly making him feel like he's growing but never comfortable.''

Jefferson can see that too.

''He definitely has an arm, that's for sure. He can definitely zip it whenever he needs to,'' he said, before recounting his advice to McCarthy at this stage of the offseason. ''Just let everything happen. Don't try to make the best play every single play.''

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