The Minnesota Vikings came into Monday Night Football at 6-1, but their passing game managed only 127 net yards in a 23-6 home loss to the Buffalo Bills. Justin Jefferson caught three of the 11 passes thrown his way for 58 yards, with Carson Wentz starting in place of the injured Kyler Murray.

Darius Slay, who won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, said Monday night that Jefferson’s last two years “have been wasted by poor QB play.” Two other prominent voices went further and raised the idea of a trade.

Darius Slay Blames Quarterback Play for Justin Jefferson’s Last Two Years

Slay didn’t hold back about where he thinks the problem lies. “Really feel bad for Jettas. Was on a historical pace to be one of the best ever, but man, the last two years have been wasted by poor QB play,” he tweeted.

Jefferson’s numbers show how much the last two years differ from the one before them. In 2024, Jefferson caught 103 passes for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns, the second-most receiving yards in the NFL that season. He finished as the #3 WR in PFN WR Impact Score with an 86.5 grade.

In 2025, he fell to 84 catches, 1,048 yards and two touchdowns. His WR Impact Score crashed to 75.0, which was only good enough for #38 in the league.

After Week 9, Jefferson has 31 catches for 393 yards and four touchdowns this season.

NFL insider Josina Anderson was one of the voices who brought up a trade in the aftermath of Minnesota’s second loss. “How Justin Jefferson has managed not to demand a trade is honestly miraculous.”

Mitchell Schwartz, who won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs, was the other. Posting early in the game, he went as far as naming a price: “Two 1s and a 3 (at least) for Justin Jefferson. Rescue him from hell.”

Vikings Turn It Over Three Times in Carson Wentz’s Start

Murray’s hamstring strain opened the door for Wentz, and Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Thursday that the starter is “week-to-week.”

Wentz managed to rack up two wins under center, wins that came in Weeks 1 and 2 when he replaced a concussed Murray in a 39-22 win over the Green Bay Packers, then started a 9-3 win at the Chicago Bears.

Monday went off that script early. In the first quarter, Wentz lost a fumble that Greg Rousseau recovered at the Minnesota 44, and Buffalo turned it into a 39-yard Tyler Bass field goal. Wentz was then intercepted twice in the third quarter, first by Dorian Williams and then by Terrel Bernard.

Minnesota finished 14 of 32 passing and went 0-for-8 on third down. Its only points came on two Will Reichard field goals, both before halftime. Jefferson’s longest catch went for 24 yards. Wentz finished 8-of-25 for 81 yards and an 8.9 passer rating, the lowest by any NFL quarterback with at least 25 pass attempts in a game since Sam Darnold’s infamous performance against New England in 2019.

Max Brosmer, who saw some action on Monday night in relief of Wentz, finished 6-of-7 for 58 yards.

Vikings’ Revolving Door at QB

Wentz is only part of the two years Slay was talking about. J.J. McCarthy, Wentz and Max Brosmer all threw passes for Minnesota in 2025.

McCarthy, now with the New York Giants, finished last among 33 qualified quarterbacks in completion percentage (57.6%) and passer rating (72.6), with 12 interceptions and 11 touchdown passes. Brosmer threw four interceptions and no touchdowns on 71 attempts.

Murray took over as the starter this season. He has completed 64.9% of his passes for 1,022 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions.

The loss dropped Minnesota to 6-2, second in the NFC North, while Buffalo improved to 7-1. Speaking after the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell refused to address whether Minnesota would look to upgrade at QB on the trade deadline, though speculation has already tied them to Daniel Jones and Kirk Cousins, among others.