Cris Carter is one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play in the NFL and after some early mistakes in his career, he became a mentor for many players who came after him, helping them navigate the fame and demands of being an NFL star.
His mentee list is extensive and includes Larry Fitzgerald, Randy Moss, Odell Beckham Jr. and RGIII just to name a few.
His tough love approach wouldn’t work with anybody. But the Hall of Famer has built up enough cachet in his more than 40 years in the game, from his standout years at Ohio State to his legendary moments with the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings’ aerial shows.
Cris Carter Is Helping Justin Jefferson Stay Out Of Drama, Build Legacy In Minnesota
It appears that current Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson is also a student of Cris Carter’s NFL acumen class. Carter appeared on a recent episode of the “Up & Adams” show with Kay Adams to complement Jefferson on how he handles the media, but also offer a story about the level of influence he has in Jefferson’s football decisions.
Carter shared a conversation the two had at a recent Vikings practice.
“Did you talk to Justin?” Adams asked the eight-time Pro Bowl pick, who finished his NFL career with over 1000 receptions. “Tell me about practice.”
“It was really cool, I spent some time with him. … Justin is very very happy. His overall leadership. We are working on some things, but they’re not normal receiver stuff. If you look at the quarterback controversy in Minnesota, he hasn’t said one word,” Carter said.
“I threatened his life and told him to keep his mouth shut,” Carter added, as Adams looked on in disbelief. “Don’t be like myself or any other wide receiver. Keep doing exactly what you’re doing. You’ve got a great image here. The organization loves you.”
Jefferson secured the bag with Minnesota when the franchise awarded him with a four-year, $140 million contract extension in June 2024, running through the 2028 season.
“Don’t complain about the quarterback,” Carter said. “Don’t mention the quarterback unless you can say good things about him. It’s only going to help you. We talked about what’s going to be his legacy in Minnesota. Maybe joining another wide receiver in the rafters and having that No. 18 where no one can ever wear that jersey ever again and what that means to the community on and off the field. So we talked about some grownup stuff besides football stuff.”
Justin Jefferson Stays Silent Despite Drop In Production
Jefferson is used to being among the league leaders in yardage since entering the league. In 2022, he led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,809 receiving yards on 128 receptions. At 23 years old, he became the youngest player in NFL history to lead the league in both receptions and receiving yards in the same season, accolades that also earned him the NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
This season, despite the team’s 5-0 record, Jefferson is having one of his least productive seasons, and the inconsistency at quarterback with Kyler Nurray being injured the first few weeks hasn’t helped.
Jefferson is tied for 47th among NFL wide receivers with 19 catches. He’s 34th in receiving yards (258) and 36th in yards per reception (13.6). Last season he had the least receiving yardage of his career and only two receiving touchdowns as the Vikings struggled to find a competent signal caller.
Justin Jefferson Has Played For Nine Vikings QBs Since 2020
Jefferson has endured a merry-go-round of starting quarterbacks since Kirk Cousins left, playing with a total of nine different starters (including J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, Max Brosmer, and Kyler Murray). Almost impossible to establish chemistry under those conditions.
The typical diva receiver of Jefferson’s caliber would usually be stirring up some controversy, worrying about numbers and expressing this to the media on podcasts. Not Jefferson. In fact, he’s been unusually quiet despite the fact that he had 92 yards and two touchdowns in the season-opener and hasn’t had a receiving game of over 79 yards since.
Carter explained why this is not a problem. In addition to long-term legacy goals, Jefferson seems to be enjoying his life and doesn’t want it to end anytime soon.
