During Sunday’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson pulled in the 500th catch of his 6-year NFL career. The four-time All Pro joins elite company in pulling off the feat in the time that he did, as he ties Larry Fitzgerald for the quickest ever to 500 catches.
Justin Jefferson Catches 500th NFL Pass, Tied For Youngest Ever
Jefferson entered the Sunday Night Football showdown needing just one catch to reach the milestone. The moment took place late in the first quarter, as Jefferson took in a nine-yard pass from JJ McCarthy. At 26 years and 90 days old, he and Fitzgerald were the same age, down to the day, when they hit the 500 mark.
Widely considered one of the top two or three wide receivers in the NFL, Jefferson is seeking his 6th-straight 1,000-yard season to begin his career. He even reached the plateau in a season in which he missed seven games, and led the entire league in catches in 2022.
At his current pace, he projects to surpass the 600-catch milestone before the end of the current season, which will continue him on his Hall of Fame pace.
500 CAREER RECEPTIONS FOR JUSTIN JEFFERSON đź’Ž
He ties Larry Fitzgerald for the youngest player to 500 receptions pic.twitter.com/kofq7Cg2p3
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 15, 2025
Jefferson is just the latest in a long line of elite Vikings’ wide receivers, and has a ways to go before he catches Randy Moss and Chris Carter for the franchise records.
He entered Sunday night’s game 1,840 yards behind Moss for 2nd place on the team history receiving list, and nearly 5,000 behind Carter. Jefferson is actually currently in fourth place, but should pass Anthony Carter in the coming weeks.
Justin Jefferson’s numbers become even more impressive when considering how many different quarterbacks he’s caught passes from. He and Kirk Cousins developed an elite connection before Cousins left for Atlanta, and there was just one year of Sam Darnold before seeing JJ McCarthy take over this season.
Despite the rotation of pass throwers, Jefferson has remained one of the most consistent producers at any position in the NFL.
