In Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Justin Jefferson put together another monstrous performance, catching 11 passes for 159 yards.
This game means the Vikings star receiver has totaled 20 receptions and 309 receiving yards through two games, with back-to-back 150-yard performances to begin the year.
Jefferson already made NFL history this week by becoming the fastest player to 5000 career receiving yards on Thursday, and now, he is in line to make even more history in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers in front of the home fans.
Justin Jefferson Is in Line for Even More NFL History
Since the merger in 1970, there have been six players to record back-to-back games of 150+ receiving yards to begin a season, per Stathead:
- Charlie Joiner (1981)
- James Lofton (1983)
- Tim Brown (1997)
- Brandon Marshall (2008)
- Steve Smith Sr. (2011)
- Justin Jefferson (2023)
However, no one has ever started a season with three consecutive games with 150 or more receiving yards. Against a Chargers defense that allowed Tyreek Hill to surpass 200 yards in Week 1, Jefferson will have a chance to do just that.
Not only has no one ever started a season with such a hot streak, but remarkably, there have only been five players in NFL history to put up three-game streaks of 150+ receiving yards at any point in a single season. Those streaks belong to:
- James Lofton (1984)
- Roy Green (1984)
- Andre Rison (1990)
- Isaac Bruce (1995)
- Josh Gordon (2013)
There has never been a streak that lasted four games, either. If Jefferson makes history in Week 3, he’ll be approaching an unprecedented run when the Vikings head to Carolina in Week 4.
Perhaps the most impressive part of this streak is the fact that despite not receiving a new contract during the offseason, Jefferson has come into this season with as much fire in his belly as ever. It would have been easy, and understandable, if the star receiver held a hold-out during training camp, but he did not miss a minute of practice.
Instead, Jefferson has continued to put his team first, and it has resulted in an incredible start to the year. Hopefully, he is able to continue re-writing record books and leads the Vikings to their first win of the season next weekend.
NOTE: This article originally appeared on our sister-site, PurplePTSD.com.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
