Joe Burrow told a story this week that Vikings fans will appreciate more than anyone. The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback dug up a memory from his time at LSU with Justin Jefferson that revealed his obsession with touchdown and about what makes the Vikings receiver tick.
Burrow made the comments during an appearance at Fanatics Fest in New York City, reminiscing about the 2019 LSU offense that also featured Ja’Marr Chase and won a national championship behind one of the most explosive passing attacks in college football history.
Joe Burrow Explains Justin Jefferson’s Touchdown Obsession at LSU
That 2019 Tigers offense rewrote the record books, and both men at the center of this story had a lot to do with it. Jefferson finished his final college season with 111 catches, 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns, while Burrow threw for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. Even by those standards, Jefferson apparently wanted more.
Jan 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow (9) celebrates with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (2) after scoring a touchdown against the Clemson Tigers second quarter in the College Football Playoff national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
A clip of Burrow recounting the story spread quickly across social media, racking up hundreds of thousands of views within hours. He described a stretch where Jefferson went two weeks without finding the end zone, and the fallout that followed.
“There was a two-week stretch where Justin Jefferson didn’t get a touchdown,” Burrow said. “He didn’t talk to me for the entire next week.”
Burrow did not seem bothered by the silent treatment at the time. “I was like, ‘I’ll get you a touchdown, bro. You don’t have to pout all week,'” he recalled.
Jefferson and Burrow have stayed close since their LSU days, reuniting at events like this year’s Met Gala in New York. That the story got such a warm reception speaks to how much Jefferson’s competitive edge still resonates, even years removed from Baton Rouge.
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The lighthearted anecdote came from a quarterback who had anything but a lighthearted 2025 season. Burrow suffered a Grade 3 turf toe injury in Week 2 that required surgery, with doctors initially projecting a lengthy recovery that would sideline him for most of the year.
He beat his own timeline by several weeks, returning before Thanksgiving after the Bengals had traded for veteran Joe Flacco to cover the absence. Cincinnati still finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for a third straight season. Burrow returned weeks ahead of schedule and started the Bengals’ Thanksgiving game against Baltimore, completing 24 of 46 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns in his first outing back.
Jefferson’s 2025 season told a similarly frustrating story on the other side of the friendship. The Vikings receiver suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs and was placed on injured reserve, sitting out the next several weeks. He eventually returned to finish with 84 catches for 1,048 yards and two touchdowns across 16 games, a step back from the 103 catches and 1,533 yards he put up the previous year.
Burrow and Jefferson’s friendship has extended well beyond football in recent months, a bond that has only grown since their days sharing a huddle in Baton Rouge.
Jefferson and the Vikings, along with Burrow and the Bengals, both open training camp later this month. Both teams will be counting on their LSU products staying healthy after injury-plagued 2025 campaigns, with each franchise eager to put the frustration of last season behind them.
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