Justin Jefferson passes Odell Beckham Jr.’s record for most receiving yards in a player’s first two seasons

Justin Jefferson continues to rewrite the NFL record books, having the best start for a wide receiver through two seasons in NFL history. The Minnesota Vikings wideout crossed another milestone off the list in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams, passing Odell Beckham Jr.’s mark for the most receiving yards in a player’s first two seasons in league history.

Jefferson has 2,851 receiving yards in his first two years with two games to play in his second season, passing Beckham’s 2,755. Randy Moss is third on the list with 2,726 yards. Jefferson joined Moss as the only two Vikings’ receivers with consecutive 1,400-yard seasons.

“Just being in this situation, breaking his record with him (Beckham) in the building,” Jefferson said Sunday. “No other perfect situation for me. A dub would definitely be better with that record, but we move on.”

Jefferson finished with eight catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in the loss, having the 13th 100-yard receiving game of his career. He trails just Bill Groman (16) and Beckham (15) for the most 100-yard receiving games through a player’s first two seasons. Jefferson has 1,451 receiving yards on the year, sitting just 182 yards behind Moss for the most receiving yards in a season in Vikings’ history. 

Jefferson has 185 receptions through his first two seasons, good for fifth in NFL history, and he sits just 12 catches away from passing Michael Thomas (196) for the most. Jefferson has 97 catches for 1,451 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021, ranking fifth in the league in receptions, second in receiving yards, and tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns.

There’s more opportunity for Jefferson to make even more history over the final two weeks, but the Vikings wideout would rather see his team make the playoffs. 

“I can only control what I can,” Jefferson said. “I definitely will keep the energy up, keep talking my guys up, trying to pick them up, but at the end of the day, I can’t go out there and play for them. We just all have to come together as a whole and have that energy up for the next game, and go out there and ball.”