With Jordan Addison back, Vikings are making it harder for defenses to go all-in on Justin Jefferson

Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson successfully went undercover as part of a Prime Video series, pranking General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and others as a fake photographer named “Darius Frost.”

If only he could wear a disguise on the field.

Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said Tuesday that opposing defenses still put most of their attention on Jefferson, but that the makeup of the Vikings receiving corps and how it’s used may be starting to force defenses to consider how heavily they invest resources on defending the multi-time All-Pro.

The Vikings will have their full receiving weaponry at their disposal at home for the first time Sunday against the Eagles as Jordan Addison makes his season debut at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Addison returned from a three-game suspension while the team was overseas, sealing the Vikings’ win over the Browns in London with a 12-yard touchdown catch in the final minute.

Phillips said Tuesday it’s much harder to go all-in defending Jefferson “when you see Jordan Addison making the plays that he’s made.”

“Adam Thielen making some clutch third-down conversions for us,” Phillips added. “Jalen Nailor winning all over the tape whether he got the football or not on those particular plays. ... We have a lot of good football players on the field, and that’s without even mentioning our tight-end room.”

Addison has played only seven quarters this season, having been benched for the first quarter against the Browns for missing a team walk-through while in London. He amassed a large chunk of his 155 yards so far this season on an 81-yard reception against the Steelers in Dublin to help set up a touchdown.

Nailor, who started the season fresh off a procedure to fix a left hand fracture suffered in training camp, already has 11 catches for 125 yards. The fourth-year receiver was expected to take a step up this season, particularly while Addison was serving his suspension, and he seems on pace for that. Nailor finished 2024 with 28 catches for 414 yards; he had eight receptions for 137 yards through six games last year.

“I feel like I’ve been doing pretty well,” Nailor said Thursday. “Just trying to execute each play I’m in there. Trying to be a willing blocker in the run game and just trying to be open as much as I can in the pass game. Just trying to be consistent in all the phases I’m in there.”

Jefferson lauded Nailor’s selflessness and patience this season as he awaits a big game. And though Thielen isn’t making the flashy plays Vikings fans may have hoped for in his return to Minnesota, three of his four catches have been third-down conversions. Only one third-down pass targeted for Thielen has gone incomplete, a third-and-2 during the third quarter against the Bears.

Jefferson affirmed that since Addison’s return against the Steelers, he’s seen more man-to-man coverage and 1-high safety looks.

Jefferson did note that the Steelers and Browns are traditionally man-to-man defenses, and the correlation to Addison’s return might not be direct.

“But it’s definitely a lot more easier with a little bit more extra weapons out there on the field to spread the ball around,” said Jefferson, who had 12 catches for 200 yards during the first three weeks of the season.

Jefferson’s got the talent to make it work either way, but the Eagles defense isn’t a bad one to have the full arsenal against.

Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell leads Philadelphia in passes defensed (7), a stat in which the Eagles rank third in the league with 33.

Though the defense has not been as dominant as in previous seasons because of injuries, it’s still in the top half of the league for fewest passing yards allowed (1,297) and fewest pass plays of 20-plus yards allowed (15).

While disguised as Darius Frost on “The Undercovers,” Jefferson told his GM, “I’m not a big fan of football, but Justin Jefferson, fan of him.”

“He’s worth it, man,” Adofo-Mensah replied, oblivious he was talking to the receiver himself.

Achieving that level of trickery on opposing defenses to get Jefferson open would be difficult, but maybe the Vikings can come close.

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