PHILADELPHIA -- Justin Jefferson is -- once again -- in the NFL record books.
The Minnesota Vikings receiver tied Hall of Famer Lance Alworth for the fewest games needed to reach 5,000 receiving yards in a career. Jefferson surpassed the milestone on a 4-yard reception during the second quarter of Thursday night's 34-28 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, his 52nd game.
It was Jefferson's fourth catch of a game in which the Vikings had struggled early to get the ball downfield. He finished with 11 catches on 13 targets for 159 yards but also had perhaps the most deflating moment for Minnesota, fumbling a 30-yard catch into the end zone and out of bounds for a touchback with the Vikings trailing 10-7 in the second quarter.
In Week 1, Jefferson surpassed another Hall of Famer, Randy Moss, to set the league record for most 150-yard receiving games (nine) before turning 25 years old. He previously owned the record for most yards in the first three seasons of a career (4,825).
Jefferson, 24, led the league last season in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809), earning All-Pro honors as well as the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year award.
He was the No. 22 overall pick of the 2020 draft, selected largely as a replacement for Stefon Diggs, whom the Vikings had traded to the Buffalo Bills. Jefferson ascended into the starting lineup for his third NFL game, catching seven passes for 175 yards and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans, and went on to finish the season with 1,400 receiving yards on 88 receptions.
He increased that yardage total to 1,616 in 2021 and 1,809 in 2022. The NFL record for receiving yards in a season is 1,964, set by the Detroit Lions' Calvin Johnson in 2012.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
