Justin Jefferson has faith in Sam Darnold.
Darnold is the Vikings’ starter for the foreseeable future after rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy underwent season-ending knee surgery this week to repair a torn meniscus.
Jefferson, who has played with several quarterbacks after Kirk Cousins went down with a torn Achilles last season, spoke optimistically about his connection with Darnold.

“It’s going very well,” Jefferson told CBS.
“A lot of people don’t understand that there’s a lot of things that go into a quarterback and a receiver’s connection than just sitting back there and just throwing the ball to a spot. They have to really learn the timing of everything, how I run the routes, where I’m gonna be at in the routes.
“That’s just us learning each other, learning how he throws the ball, learning how I run the routes. I definitely feel confident in going into Week 1 with Sam as our quarterback. I feel like he’s been making plays throughout training camp. I don’t have any worry in my mind at all.”
After three years on the Jets, Darnold played for the Panthers for two seasons, and last year, he was the backup for Brock Purdy on the 49ers.

Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall, who started a combined five games for the Vikings last season, remain on the team’s roster.
Even with the Vikings not having an established top starting quarterback, Jefferson is among the favorites in the betting odds to lead the NFL in receiving yards this season.