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Justin Jefferson Has Something to Prove in 2026

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Vikings WR Justin Jefferson in 2025 against the Green Bay Packers.
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) warms up prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.

Since he entered the league in 2020, Justin Jefferson has always been in the conversation for the best wide receiver in the league. He has been seen by many as the best over the last five seasons, but by no fault of his own, he endured the most difficult season of his career in 2025.

Justin Jefferson Will Be Out to Prove He is Still the Best in 2026

The Vikings’ big offseason decision a year ago was what to do at quarterback: keep Sam Darnold after a 14-win season or hand the job to their young 2024 first-round pick. Ultimately, it was JJ McCarthy who started the season under center in Minnesota, and the situation turned into a nightmare. McCarthy unsurprisingly struggled early on and, more worryingly, missed several games through injury. Darnold now prepares to play in the Super Bowl, while the Vikings fire their general manager

justin jefferson
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) dives for a first down on a reception against Green Bay Packers safety Evan Williams (33) during their football game Sunday, January 4, 2026, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. © Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

The Vikings QB play in the 2025 season was mediocre at best, and at times downright ugly. It resulted in Jefferson missing both All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection for the first time outside of the injury-shortened 2023 season. The numbers this season were worse than 2023 despite playing in every game with career lows in receiving yards (1,048) and receiving touchdowns (2). To some, that is still a good season, but not to someone with the talent of Jefferson.

WR Great Says Justin Jefferson is Still Number One

The good news for Jefferson is that it is widely accepted that his dip in numbers is completely down to the Vikings’ QB woes. The man often regarded as the greatest WR of all time, Jerry Rice, recently gave Jefferson the seal of approval, calling him the best in the league. Rice said Jefferson can do it all, which is what makes him the best.

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Still, Jefferson topped 1,000 yards in a struggling Vikings offense where nearly every playmaker saw a dip in production. It reinforced how close he is to quarterback-proof, even while drawing constant attention from opposing defenses. The big question now is how Minnesota makes sure he gets the help he deserves from the QB position in 2026?

Keeping Jefferson Happy

Wide receivers have been a position known to create “divas,” but not so with Jefferson. While there was an occasional show of frustration, he has never publicly complained or given any indication he wants out of Minnesota. That will come naturally. After years of Cincinnati Bengals fans dreaming up trade scenarios for the Vikings’ star player, it seems it’s now San Francisco 49ers fans plotting Jefferson’s route to the Bay Area.

justin jefferson
Dec 7, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) reacts with Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

I don’t envision the Vikings wanting to trade Jefferson, at least while he is happy to stay. Therein lies the issue: a repeat of 2025, and no one would blame Jefferson for wanting out. Through six seasons in the league, Jefferson has only played in two playoff games with Minnesota and lost them both. The Vikings have Jefferson signed on for the next three seasons at huge money. If he is to see through that contract — and even sign another one — Minnesota has got to become a genuinely competitive team.

Large parts of the Vikings roster are ready for that, large parts are also not. Nothing is less ready than the QB situation on the evidence of last season. For Jefferson to be flying again, to the point we are once again talking about him chasing down the first-ever 2,000-receiving yards season, he needs better support from his team. He will want to prove he is still the best in 2026, but he needs better support from his team to do it.

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Keeping Jefferson happy is the most important thing for the Vikings to do this season. Otherwise, we are on the brink of a “tear it all down” situation.

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Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

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'The rebuild of myself' – Wilder opens up on mental health struggles

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Former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder opens up about his mental health struggles, and says he’s now “at peace” before his fight against Derek Chisora on 4 April at London’s O2 Arena.

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Naoya Inoue called out by new US world champion: “I’ll be first to beat him”

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Naoya Inoue remains as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound superstars and the Japanese phenomenon may finally move up to featherweight this year. There, each of the 126lb champions are hoping to be selected as his opponent, but none more so than a newly crowned titleholder from the United States.

Inoue has ruled at light-flyweight, super-flyweight, bantamweight and super-bantamweight over the course of his 32-fight career, becoming undisputed at both 118lbs and 122lbs as one of just three multi-divisional undisputed champions in the four-belt era.

However, despite a legacy-defining showdown with Junto Nakatani on the horizon, many fans in the United States are keen to see Inoue fight on American soil and to do so in the featherweight division.

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Now, after registering a knockout of the year contender in a world title win in his hometown, WBC featherweight world champion Bruce Carrington informed Sean Zittel that he would accept a fight with ‘The Monster’ over possible title unifications.

“It [the fight with Inoue] is very realistic now and I am super excited for what is to come. These next two years are going to be really special, we are going to be making a lot of noise and I think that it is right there, it is on the cusp of happening.

“Everything is really falling into place for me, man. I really want to be the first guy to do it, to beat Inoue, and then we are going to be on that road, superstardom level.

“[I would rather] a fight with him [than unifications], because with the unifications, I feel like I could still do that regardless, after [fighting Inoue]. I think that the fight with him is something that I want more, because it would just put me on that level.

“Me beating him would put me on a certain level, over the unification fights, honestly.”

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Carrington then went on to explain why he believes that the interest in that bout should not be one-sided, declaring that Inoue should be seeking events across the pond in order to improve on his star power.

“He should have some interest in fighting in America as well, that will make him into an even bigger fighter if he becomes more successful with more fights here and builds his name.”

Should Inoue wish to debut at featherweight in the U.S. then Carrington sticks out as the obvious candidate and with his New York roots, a clash at Madison Square Garden makes sense for both men, providing Inoue comes through his meeting with Nakatani unscathed.

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Deontay Wilder storms out of interview over Tyson Fury questions: ‘I’m not gonna talk about him!’

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Deontay Wilder stormed out of an interview on Wednesday after taking issue with a line of questioning about Tyson Fury, one of his biggest rivals, ahead of a press conference with upcoming opponent Derek Chisora.

On 4 April, Wilder will box Chisora in a heavyweight main event at London’s O2 Arena, in what is expected to be Chisora’s final fight as a professional.

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At 42, Britain’s Chisora is a seasoned veteran, while former world champion Wilder is similarly experienced at 40. But while Chisora has been enjoying a resurgence recently, winning his last three bouts, Wilder is in must-win territory after going 2-4 in his last six contests.

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The American, seen as arguably the most-devastating puncher of his generation, was on a frightening run of unanswered victories until 2018, when he secured a controversial draw with Fury. In 2020, Fury stopped Wilder to take the WBC title from the “Bronze Bomber”, before replicating that result in a third clash in 2021. Since then, Wilder has stopped Robert Helenius and Tyrrell Anthony Herndon but lost to Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker.

But his past with Fury cropped up again this week, when Wilder accused the Briton of having cheated during their rivalry. This was put to Wilder before Wednesday’s press conference with Chisora, as the American was questioned by TalkSport host Simon Jordan.

“I don’t want to talk about him,” Wilder told Jordan, who replied. “No, you’re going to.”

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“We’re here about Derek Chisora,” Wilder pushed back. “We’re not gonna talk about him [Fury] at all. I’m not gonna talk about him at all. Understand that.”

“No, fair enough,” Jordan said, in a bid to cool an intensifying atmosphere, with Wilder responding: “Alright then, so let’s move on. It’s all about Derek Chisora, that’s it. I’m back, baby! You all understand that? 4 April, it’s going down at the O2, you better be there or you’ll be a square.”

Deontay Wilder (right) takes on Britain's Derek Chisora on April 4th (Getty Images)

Deontay Wilder (right) takes on Britain’s Derek Chisora on April 4th (Getty Images)

“I understand that, I understand that,” said Jordan. “Fabulous. The only reason I mentioned it is because it’s part of the shtick that goes with you, and I missed you the first time around, when you came in here three years ago – when you were in your pomp four years ago, doing ‘Bomb Squad!’ and all that sort of stuff.

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“And I have always wanted to have a conversation with you, because you’ve made observations about Fury. I have my views on Fury, and you’ve called him a cheat.”

“The biggest in boxing!” Wilder exclaimed, before making accusations against Fury, who is due to emerge from his fifth retirement when he boxes Arslanbek Makhmudov on 11 April. Fury has always denied any accusations against him.

“But it leads me to a conclusion,” Jordan followed up. “I want to put something to you about you, and Fury just happens to be the hook for it. You talked about being cheated in that fight, you talked about water being spiked.”

“Facts,” said Wilder, before Jordan added: “You talked about your [ring walk] outfit being too heavy for you.”

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Deontay Wilder accused Tyson Fury of cheating during their trilogy fights between 2018-2021 (Getty Images)

Deontay Wilder accused Tyson Fury of cheating during their trilogy fights between 2018-2021 (Getty Images)

“I didn’t say that,” Wilder claimed. Jordan went on: “You talked about a long count [by the referee in the first fight with Fury].”

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After Wilder said “facts” once more, Jordan continued: “It sounds to me, given the character you are, that’s a little bit flaky. You lost those fights, and those fights were lost, and you saying someone like Fury cheated you in those fights is kind of disappointing to me.”

“Because I know the truth!” shouted Wilder. “I have the facts. Understand that […] Because when the documentary and everything starts to come out, I’m gonna show everything.” Earlier in the week, Wilder had similarly referenced a documentary he is apparently working on.

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“I’m not a Fury fan,” Jordan said, as Wilder stood up from his chair and walked towards the host, with security holding back the boxer.

“I don’t give a f*** about that!” Wilder shouted. “I don’t give a f*** about it! I said we didn’t want to bring him up in the first place. It ain’t got s*** to do with him!”

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Wilder’s last fight was his stoppage of Herndon in the seventh round in June, while Chisora’s was his decision win over Otto Wallin in February 2025.

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Chisora vs Wilder will mark each man’s 50th fight as a professional.

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3 mistakes Tony Khan must avoid on this week’s AEW Dynamite

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Tony Khan will present tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from Las Vegas this week. The show will take place at the Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort, and fans have high expectations for it. AEW has announced a stacked lineup of stars for the show, including some big-time matches featuring top AEW names.

As of now, Tony Khan has announced four big showdowns for the event. Hangman Page will take on Mark Davis in a singles clash. Apart from that, Andrade and Kenny Omega will also square off in a big matchup. Moreover, MJF will take on Brody King in an AEW World Title Eliminator Match. Additionally, Jack Perry and Ricochet will also clash over the AEW National Title. There are several other top stars like Kris Statlander and Jon Moxley expected to appear on the show.

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In this article, let’s take a look at 3 mistakes Tony Khan must avoid on this week’s AEW Dynamite:

#3. A clear decision for the Andrade and Kenny Omega match

Andrade will face Kenny Omega tonight on AEW Dynamite. It is a much-anticipated showdown between the two stars following El Idolo’s attack on The Cleaner on Dynamite’s 6th Anniversary last year. However, both stars are brimming with momentum as of late in the Jacksonville-based promotion. Besides, Andrade and Omega are top contenders for the AEW World Championship.

Therefore, Tony Khan can create a solid storyline involving the two stars down the line. However, a defeat to any one of them could destroy their momentum. Hence, instead of giving this match a clear closure, there should be a screwed ending for this showdown. It would help Khan to keep this feud open without affecting anyone’s credibility and momentum in the company.

#2. No follow-up on Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford’s title quest

Last week, on AEW Dynamite, Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford came down the aisle to give a staredown to the AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander and the AEW World Women’s Tag Team Champions Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron. That moment alone shone a massive spotlight on Bayne and Ford, sparking interest from a lot of fans in their work down the line.

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However, if Tony Khan did not give any follow-up to that intense staredown, it would make last week’s segment meaningless. Instead, the AEW President should book Bayne and Ford in some sort of confrontation with The Babes of Wrath and Kris Statlander. Besides, fans have been clamoring to see Megan chase the AEW Women’s World Title. Therefore, it sets up a golden opportunity for AEW to build Megan Bayne to the top.

#1. Another loss to Jack Perry on AEW Dynamite

Jack Perry will challenge the champion Ricochet for the AEW National Championship tonight on AEW Dynamite. It is a rematch between the two stars after their last title match on 31 December 2025, AEW Dynamite. Perry made his return to AEW last year following a prolonged hiatus. However, he has not achieved anything big since then in the company.

He has already faced a defeat against Ricochet on Dynamite, and another loss could heavily impact his credibility. Therefore, Tony Khan should crown Perry a new National Champion tonight. The Lightskin Kingpin has already managed to have a decent run with the title. The Scapegoat has the potential to heavily elevate the prestige of the championship down the line.