Following the 2022 season, Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. It was the first hardware to go to a player employed by the Vikings since Adrian Peterson earned his MVP trophy. To this day, he has been the last non-quarterback to win the MVP trophy for his electric 2,000-yard season.
Two Minnesota Vikings Get the Dark-Horse Treatment
The expectations are low for the Vikings entering the 2024 campaign. Kirk Cousins’ departure led to a significant downgrade at the most important position in the sport. Because nobody expects the team to win anything in the upcoming season, there will be a solid opportunity to stun folks.
If they can indeed surprise some people and be competitive, the players could enter award consideration. A duo has been named Dark Horses to win some silverware by Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon. He named three longshot candidates for each of the seven trophies.
The top honor every season is the valuable MVP trophy. Alan Page (1971), Fran Tarkenton (1975), and Peterson (2012) managed to win the trophy after a season in a purple and gold uniform. Gagnon views Jefferson as a longshot candidate.
I’m imagining a scenario in which the NFL’s most talented receiver simply explodes in his prime, possibly at a record-setting tune. And if that happens with Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy splitting up time at quarterback, this far-fetched scenario could lead to a wide receiver winning the MVP award for the first time.
A fascinating fact is that no wide receiver has ever won MVP. Jefferson is one of the few candidates who could be in the race at some point. He finished fifth in 2022 behind four passers. There is only one scenario in which he has a chance: if he can break Calvin Johnson’s single-season record of 1,964 yards.
