The Minnesota Vikings got a harsh reminder of what they gave away when they watched Sam Darnold lead the Seattle Seahawks to a 26-0 shutout victory Sunday at Lumen Field—the team's first shutout loss since 2007.

Jefferson hugged his former quarterback at midfield after the debacle. A year earlier on the same field, Darnold had orchestrated a 27-24 comeback, hitting Jefferson for a 39-yard touchdown. That day, Jefferson caught 10 passes for 144 yards and two scores while Darnold posted 246 yards and three touchdowns.

The Offseason Disaster

Minnesota's 14-3 finish in 2024 masked a critical problem: Darnold faltered down the stretch. So the Vikings ditched him. They benched him in favor of 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy and let Darnold walk to Seattle on a three-year, $100 million deal. They also lost backup Daniel Jones to the Indianapolis Colts, who outbid them for his services.

Both decisions have proven catastrophic. Darnold and Jones are thriving in their new homes, with both teams in playoff position after Sunday's games. The Vikings are 4-8 and staring at a top-10 draft pick with a month remaining.

McCarthy's Collapse

McCarthy missed all of last season with a knee injury and has been a disaster in his return. He's played in just six games and has been consistently poor when available.

In a Week 12 loss to Green Bay, McCarthy put on a clinic in incompetence: 87 passing yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, five sacks, and a 34.2 passer rating. He suffered a concussion in that game.

With McCarthy unavailable for Seattle, undrafted rookie Max Brosmer made his NFL debut and performed even worse: 19 of 30 for 126 yards, no touchdowns, four interceptions, four sacks, and a 32.8 passer rating.

Jefferson's Frustration

The second-highest-paid receiver in the league finished with two catches for four yards on six targets—his lowest output of the season. For the year, Jefferson has just two touchdowns, hasn't surpassed 100 receiving yards since Week 5, and is averaging a career-low 12.9 yards per catch.

Jefferson declined to speak with reporters after the game, marking the first time he's refused to do so all season, according to Vikings beat reporters. His silence speaks volumes about the quarterback disaster engulfing the franchise.

Organizational Crisis

The Vikings built this roster to win now: Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Aaron Jones Sr., and Jefferson. They just need competent quarterback play. That's not happening.

The offensive production has cratered. Minnesota is averaging 18.7 points per game (28th in the NFL), down sharply from 25.4 points per game (9th) last season.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell acknowledged the disaster:

"We just did not have the type of an offensive performance that is ever going to be acceptable with the Minnesota Vikings organization. That obviously starts with me. It's not about any one particular player or position. It's a collective group thing right now where we are just not good enough to overcome some of the things that we're doing."

Even veteran Minnesota native Adam Thielen has abandoned ship. Playing in what he hopes is his final NFL season, Thielen requested his release from the Vikings on Monday so he could chase a Super Bowl elsewhere. The team granted it.

A Player in Limbo

Jefferson still has three years and $89.5 million remaining on a contract he signed last offseason. At 26 years old, with a full rebuild looming, the star receiver is watching his prime years slip away with quarterbacks incapable of utilizing his talent.

Jefferson had a legitimate quarterback a year ago—one he was content to embrace at midfield Sunday. He may not stay patient much longer.