The atmosphere at NFL preseason games tends to be more relaxed than what star players and coaches typically experience during the regular season.
But it’s become relatively commonplace around the league for players to be microphoned during games, and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was quick to notice that Justin Jefferson was wearing a microphone during Minnesota’s preseason opener.
During the Vikings’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders, O’Connell had a light-hearted and entertaining exchange with the superstar wide receiver on the sideline.
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Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell stands on the sideline during a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 10, 2024. The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 24-23. (Adam Boettcher/Getty Images)
“The real question is, why? Justin is never standing alone,” O’Connell said. “He’s the energy, he’s the spark. Why on earth would he stand alone and talk to himself? Now I know.”
O’Connell was responding to a request from Jefferson to say a few words to viewers watching the game live.
Jefferson, a three-time Pro Bowler, was on the broadcast for the entire third quarter, a reminder that the Vikings were playing an exhibition game, not a regular-season match.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell talks with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) during Minnesota Vikings training camp at the TCO Performance Center on Aug. 3, 2024 in Eagan, Minnesota. (Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, via Getty Images)
At one point, Jefferson accurately predicted that a play would result in a touchdown: “I did it, I did it, I did it, I did it.” Jefferson said Rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy threw a pass to Trent Sherfield Sr.
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Jefferson, who signed a historic contract extension in June, did not play in Saturday’s preseason game.
McCarthy recovered from a haphazard pass intercepted by Las Vegas starting cornerback Jack Jones to throw two touchdown passes against the reserves, making for a promising, if mixed, preseason debut for the Vikings’ future franchise quarterback in a 24-23 win over the Raiders.
Minnesota Vikings player JJ McCarthy (number 9) aims for a pass during the second quarter of a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 10, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Rookie Will Reichard’s 37-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game snapped Minnesota’s 10-game preseason losing streak. The Vikings last won an exhibition game on Aug. 24, 2019, at home against the Arizona Cardinals.
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“Situations are going to get bad, and when they do, it’s about your ability to react to those situations and get through them, have the memory of a goldfish and have the mental strength to just get back out there and throw it,” McCarthy said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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