Darnold signed a three-year deal with Seattle and went on to enjoy a second straight year in the Pro Bowl.
McCarthy struggled to find his footing in Minnesota and missed seven games, prompting the Vikings to turn to Carson Wentz for five starts and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer for two. McCarthy finished with 1,632 yards, 11 TDs and 12 interceptions compared to Darnold’s 4,048 yards, 25 TDs and 14 picks; Minnesota’s offense fell from ninth in 2024 to 26th, while Seattle moved up to third in scoring from 18th the previous season.
Most importantly, the Seahawks won and finished with the most regular season wins in franchise history at 14-3. (A 17th game added to the NFL regular season in 2021 obviously helped in that regard, but Seattle had only managed 13 wins twice before.)
Darnold, who is now only the second QB in league history along with Tom Brady to win at least 14 consecutive games in a season, also avoided another playoff appearance and overcame an oblique injury to land the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
Jefferson is happy with his former signal caller despite admitting it’s hard to watch a team other than his own find the success he craves in the postseason.
“I love that he’s in the Super Bowl,” Jefferson said. “I’m happy for him. I want nothing but the best for him, especially the way his journey was at first. People doubt him and people don’t give him respect. Now they’re giving him that respect. They’re seeing that he’s a top quarterback in this league.
“I wish he had done it for us last year, but to see him blossom and bounce back right after last year and get it this year, I’m happy for him and I hope he wins.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t just team success that passed Jefferson by in 2025.
For so long, one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL, Jefferson notably disappeared for large chunks of his sixth season amid Minnesota’s struggles under center. He still posted a sixth straight 1,000-yard receiving campaign, but his 1,048 yards marked a career-best, as did his two TD catches, 12.5 yards per reception, 4.9 receptions per game and 61.6 yards per game.
He nevertheless avoided knocking McCarthy in his praise of Darnold, saying he has continued to have confidence in the young QB throughout the process.
“Obviously we’re going to work harder this offseason to get to where we want to go,” Jefferson added. “There are building blocks to this. It doesn’t just happen overnight.”
As for his own season, it served as a wake-up call for Jefferson — and perhaps bad news for anyone tasked with protecting him going forward.
“Not every season is going to be a top season,” he said. “Not many people have back-to-back years dominating the league, you know, I’ve been dominating. It’s just all part of the plan. It’s all God’s plan. Just really a moment that I have to go back to work. Even though I don’t feel like the season was on me, but just going back to work, I personally feel better there and personally I feel better. my better craft.”