Move over Muhammad Ali and George Frazier. Get ready for another installment of Justin Jefferson–Jaire Alexander. While Jordan Love’s potential return is garnering most of the headlines, Jefferson and Alexander are supplying the juice.
While Alexander has been limited with a quadricep injury and is officially questionable, he could meet Jefferson the first time in two seasons on Sunday when the Vikings (3-0) visit the Packers (2-1) at Lambeau Field (1 p.m. ET, CBS). Jefferson’s hamstring injury and Alexander’s suspension kept them off the same field in 2023.
This week, the head games have started long before the All-Pro wide receiver and Pro Bowl cornerback take the field.
“He likes to do that stuff to get inside someone’s head,” Jefferson said Thursday, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. “I’m not really tripping on that. I’m going to just get my Griddy in his end zone. So, I’m not tripping on it at all. I’m excited for the matchup.”
That matchup has plenty of hype. Here’s the tale of the tape:
- Draft: Alexander first round (No. 18 overall), 2018; Jefferson first round (No. 22 overall), 2020.
- Height/weight: Alexander 5-10, 196; Jefferson 6-1, 195.
- Combine 40-yard dash: Alexander 4.38 seconds, Jefferson 4.33 seconds.
- Combine vertical jump: Alexander 35 inches; Jefferson 37.5 inches.
- Wingspan: Alexander 74.75 inches; Jefferson 78 inches.
- NFL games played, including postseason: Alexander 81; Jefferson 64.
Via Next Gen Stats, in their overall 23 career snaps when Alexander has been Jefferson’s nearest defender, Jefferson has only one catch for 12 yards, with five total targets.
Plus, that single catch happened nearly four years ago.