Justin Jefferson says he never imagined his former teammate and quarterback, Kirk Cousins, being back with the Minnesota Vikings.
"It's definitely a surreal moment for him to be here, and to hear his leadership and hear his control over the offense," Jefferson said Thursday, according to Ahmad Hicks of Fox 9.
Jefferson posted career years and spent his first four NFL seasons catching passes from Cousins before the passer departed as a free agent in 2024. The wideout sees Cousins' return as crucial to the team.
"It's much needed at this point of time to kind of switch things up," Jefferson added. "Hopefully he brings that juice, that energy, and that leadership we need."
The Vikings are off to a 6-2 start this season, but their quarterback play hasn't been as steady as expected. Offseason addition Kyler Murray is sidelined with a hamstring injury, but he's only thrown for five touchdowns to three interceptions when on the field. His backup, Carson Wentz, struggled during Monday night's loss to the Buffalo Bills, completing just 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards and two interceptions.
Cousins joins the team with 20 touchdowns to eight interceptions over his nine starts with the Las Vegas Raiders this season. He was traded to the Vikings on Tuesday.
Jefferson said "it's a joy" to see Cousins be a leader and take over meetings, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert.
"He just understands the game," Jefferson added. "He's a guy that studies the game a lot. He understands how the defenses play, especially covering me. And he understands the plays that we have called that are kind of my plays, and he understands the timing and the windows to throw those type of plays. But he also doesn't force those type of plays to me, and he just lets the game come to me."
Minnesota finds itself in the midst of a tight NFC North race where every team is above .500. The Chicago Bears lead the division at 7-2, the Detroit Lions are 6-2, and the Green Bay Packers - who face the Vikings on Sunday - are 6-3.
The Vikings have yet to officially announce Cousins as their starter for Sunday's game against the Packers.
