Vikings' Justin Jefferson Talks 2028 Olympics, NFL Goals, NFC North and More in B/R Interview

Justin Jefferson has played for the Minnesota Vikings his entire NFL career, but he wants to play for a different team in 2028.

But don't worry, Vikings fans. The team he wants to play for in two years is the United States' flag football team.

"I hope so. It's definitely in the dreams right now," Jefferson said of potentially playing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. "I'm wishing and hoping I'm still at my fullest potential, healthy and able to play in that competition. It would be an honor to stand up on that stage and receive that gold medal to honor my country, honor my family and honor this game."

Flag football will be on the global stage in those Games when it makes its Olympic debut, and the question remains how many NFL players will take the field.

After all, it is a different game than the traditional tackle football they are accustomed to, and Tom Brady's team that had NFL players just so happened to lose to Team USA at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. Those who have been playing the sport at such a high level have an experience advantage that could come into play.

Still, it is hard to argue with the talent of players such as Jefferson when building a roster.

Justin Jefferson's 1-Handed TD 🔥

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The Vikings star is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL with a resume that includes the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year, two First-Team All-Pro selections, four Pro Bowl nods and more than 1,000 receiving yards in each of his six years in the league.

Jefferson led the NFL in catches (128) and receiving yards (1,809) when he won the Offensive Player of the Year. It is a testament to his greatness that his 1,048 receiving yards from this past season was the lowest mark of his career since it would be the best year for so many of his peers.

So what has to happen for him to consider the upcoming 2026 campaign a successful one?

"Just continue doing what I'm doing," Jefferson said. "Obviously, we have to make those little pieces of the puzzle that were missing connect. But once that happens, everything is going to fall the way it needs to fall. For this past season, people would probably say that was my most difficult season that I've had. But I was still able to accomplish some of the goals that I had for the season. 

"So I just need to keep building on that and show I'm still the best receiver in the league with that confidence. I still have that juice to continue to fight and continue to compete at the highest level. So it will be all about getting everybody else on my team on board with that same mindset."

One of those players on his team will be Kyler Murray, who came to the Vikings this offseason in a headline move.

While he will presumably compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting role, the latter missed his rookie season in 2024 with injury and then struggled in 2025 while completing just 57.6 percent of his passes for 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

Minnesota also started Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer, which is not exactly a collection of MVP candidates under center. That it managed to go 9-8 despite poor quarterback play underscores the amount of talent elsewhere on the roster and the reality that even average play from Murray could elevate it to the playoffs.

Considering Murray is a two-time Pro Bowler who can use his legs to make plays, it is reasonable to expect at least average play.

For his part, Jefferson is looking to use his offseason to create some chemistry with all his offensive teammates, including the marquee addition.

"Building that connection," the wide receiver said when explaining his focus of the offseason. "Teaming up with my teammates and the quarterbacks to build those connections and build those relationships so we can go into this training camp with a whole different mindset.

"I just want to work with them at an earlier timeframe to help for the season and help with the connection. We don't want to be starting fresh at training camp, we'll already have that time we spent during the offseason to build that connection even more."

If he does that, he will remain on the radar for USA flag football leading into the Olympics.

That would only be fitting since Jefferson is an NFL Global Flag Football Ambassador who has helped spread the popularity of the game around the world in recent years.

As part of those efforts, he partnered with U.S. Bank—which is a familiar name for Vikings fans since the team plays its home games at U.S. Bank Stadium—to film a commercial with flag football star Izzy Geraci.

"It's great to see all these different emotions from the kids shooting the commercial," he said. "They're always excited to have me in the commercial and be around me, so it's fun to pick their brains and understand more about the flag football aspect since I didn't play it as much when I was a kid. 

"So I've been asking them for different stories they have from their years playing flag football. We've been having fun with it, that's the most important thing. We're trying to give them an experience of a lifetime and something they can go back home with and say, 'I had a great time shooting that commercial with Justin.'"

Putting flag football center stage was notable since U.S. Bank is supporting the NFL Flag Championships as part of its recently announced role as the official bank partner of the NFL.

"I feel like I've been working with them my entire NFL career just based on having our stadium as U.S. Bank Stadium," Jefferson said. "Adding this partnership officially has been great. Being the NFL flag ambassador and them implementing that with the commercial has been an honor. I'm just trying to expand this game as much as I can."

He is also trying to lead the Vikings back to the playoffs after they missed out with their 9-8 record last season, which is easier said than done in the loaded NFC North.

Minnesota made the postseason during the 2024 campaign but didn't even win the division despite finishing with a 14-3 record. The Detroit Lions went 15-2 that year, while the Green Bay Packers also impressed on the way to an 11-6 mark.

That was just the start, as all four teams finished with a winning record during the 2025 season. It was the Chicago Bears that took home the crown, while the Packers also made the playoffs.

It would be anything but surprising if the division was daunting once again since the addition of Murray to Minnesota means three of the four teams have No. 1 overall draft picks under center. Caleb Williams (Chicago) and Jared Goff (Detroit) were also the top picks in their respective drafts, while Jordan Love was a first-round pick for the Packers.

▶️ Full Packers-Vikings Recap

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Having such a strong division adds to the pressure of every game and leaves little room for error, which Jefferson is embracing as he prepares for another new season.

"We've been feeling like we're the top division for the past two or three years now," he said. "Detroit has built up their team with an offense that has dominated and a defense that makes enough plays. Obviously, Green Bay is always in contention with their players. It's definitely tough being in our division at this point. 

"We have a lot of different dominant players who make a lot of plays. It's always a fight at the end of the game. But I love that competition, I love that competitive spirit, I love competing against the best players in the league. That allows me to play even harder and shows the world we're the top in the league. It's great to be in this division, but it's also hard to be in this division competing with three top-tier teams." 

Of course, it will also be hard for those three top-tier teams to stop the Jefferson-Murray combination if everything goes according to plan in Minnesota.