CHICAGO — Two days before NFL is set to announce 2021 Pro Bowl rosters, Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson commemorated the week by wearing Randy Moss' 2000 NFC Pro Bowl jersey during warmups before Monday night's game in Chicago.
Vikings' Pro Bowl picks are Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook and Harrison Smith
Jefferson wore a Pro Bowl Randy Moss jersey during pregame warmups on Monday night in Chicago, where Moss broke the news of his selection to him.
December 21, 2021 at 12:00AM
Moss, currently an ESPN analyst, was on the field before the nationally-televised kickoff and broke the news to Jefferson that he'll be among the 2021 NFC honorees. Jefferson is one of three Vikings voted by players, coaches and fans onto the initial all-star roster, joining running back Dalvin Cook and safety Harrison Smith.
"On behalf of the National Football League, you're going back for your second year," Moss told Jefferson on the ESPN broadcast.
"That's a dream of mine," Jefferson said after the game. "My second consecutive year in the Pro Bowl, that's definitely an honor for me. And pregame with Randy, that was special. I don't really talk to Randy that much, so being able to be with him, throw and catch, talk to him, that was cool."
Jefferson's 1,335 receiving yards rank second in the league behind only the Rams' Cooper Kupp. Nobody has more big plays than Jefferson's 22 catches gaining at least 20 yards this season.
The 22-year-old Jefferson said he's aiming for first-team All-Pro, a mark he barely missed after his sensational rookie season.
"That's one of the things I wanted to accomplish this season, especially getting second-team All-Pro last year," Jefferson said last week.
Jefferson joins Adrian Peterson ('07-'08), Moss ('98-'99), Sammy White ('76-'77) and Chuck Foreman ('73-'74) as the only Vikings players voted into the Pro Bowl in their first two years.
Smith, the 32-year-old team captain, was selected to his sixth Pro Bowl in the last seven seasons. Smith has six pass deflections, three sacks, an interception and a forced fumble in 11 starts. The veteran's ability to disguise his intentions before the snap with nuanced movements was recently praised by co-coordinator Andre Patterson.
"For you to feel comfortable to actually line up on the line of scrimmage and, when the ball's snapped, to turn and run and get the depth back that you're supposed to have," Patterson said, "[and] at the same time as fast receivers are running full speed toward you – it's very rare."
Cook, ranking third in the NFL with 978 rushing yards, was voted in for the third straight year. The 26-year-old Cook is dealing with the latest shoulder injury, a dislocation suffered last month in San Francisco, although teammates and coaches have lauded his toughness after he missed one game, returned and ran for 205 yards just 11 days after the injury.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins and linebacker Eric Kendricks are among the Vikings players who might have a case for being snubbed.
Andrew Krammer is joined by Matthew Coller of Purple Insider to discuss the Vikings offense, what they think of Justin Fields and the Bears, and they talk what's been expected and unexpected through four games.
