EAGAN, Minn. — Pregame warm-up routines and postgame salutations are likely the only times Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins will be on U.S. Bank Stadium's playing surface at the same time Sunday.
It will be the first time the teammates from 2020-23 and former locker room neighbors are on opposing sidelines.
Cousins targeted Jefferson 518 times, resulting in 354 receptions, 5,338 yards and 28 touchdowns for the fifth-year receiver who is on the cusp of becoming the youngest player all-time to reach 7,000 career receiving yards.
There was an iconic fourth-and-18 that Jefferson hauled in for a gain of 32 at Buffalo in 2022, but Jefferson's 15th career target, which resulted in his 12th career catch — a 71-yard touchdown against Tennessee in his first start — is the one he said he remembers most fondly.
That and the jokes.
"I learned a lot from Kirk. There's a lot of jokes I learned from Kirk," Jefferson said Thursday. "Seeing him and his day-to-day routine and how he came to work every day and how he's on the playbook and studying hard every single day — how he's so much into the book. I love that about him. His work ethic and him as a person is great always."
Jefferson was asked during his media session to relay his favorite joke and laughed off the opportunity. Not the right time, he said. Timing in comedy is quite important, after all.
"That's not my type. Those jokes are just to laugh at for right now. Once I get a little older, I might bring them out of the bag," Jefferson said. "I can't tell y'all, man. I want it to be later on when I get older and I can come on here and tell y'all the joke, and then it's really going to be funny, but me telling it right now, it's not going to be funny. Kirk's gotta tell y'all himself."
Jefferson knows the importance of the game for Minnesota (10-2) and Atlanta (6-6) in the NFC Playoff Picture. He said Cousins signing with the Falcons and Sam Darnold joining the Vikings has worked out for both teams. When Cousins joined Atlanta, Jefferson said he shared words of thanks for the start to his career.
"I always respect Kirk, and I will always be thankful for what he has done for me," Jefferson said. "I feel like I didn't even have to share that message with him. He already knows how I feel about him. Just the amount of time we spent together, it definitely will be in my thoughts for a long time."
Here are all the ways to catch the Week 14 action when Cousins is on the visitor's sideline at U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time.
BROADCAST TV
FOX (KMSP FOX 9 in the Twin Cities)
Kickoff: Noon (CT)
Play-by-Play: Joe Davis
Analyst: Greg Olsen
Sideline reporter: Pam Oliver
Fans who live in the red areas shown on the map from 506sports.com will be able to watch the game on broadcast TV.
LOCAL/REGIONAL RADIO
KFAN (100.3-FM), KTLK 1130-AM and the five-state Vikings Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Paul Allen
Analyst: Pete Bercich
Sideline reporter: Ben Leber
Note: The pregame radio show on the Vikings Radio Network will begin at 10 a.m. (CT).
Audio Streaming Option: Catch the audio broadcast on your smart devices through the KFAN channel on the iHeart app.
SPANISH RADIO
Catch the Vikings on Tico Sports at WREY "El Rey" 94.9 FM and 630 AM in the Twin Cities and on Tico-Sports.com, elrey949fm.com and Vikings.com.
Play-by-Play: Gabriel Rios
Analyst: Isaias Zendejas
NATIONAL RADIO
COMPASS MEDIA NETWORKS
Play-by-Play: Chris Carrino
Analyst: Brian Baldinger
SATELLITE RADIO
Minnesota: SiriusXM 82 or 229/Vikings Team Page
Atlanta: SiriusXM 108 or 384/Falcons Team Page
ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
Click here for the full bevy of options that include over-the-air, cable, satellite, over-the-top and streaming methods.
NFL+ AND NFL+ PREMIUM
Watch out-of-market Vikings preseason games live or on-demand with NFL+ or NFL+ Premium. It is available in the NFL app and at NFL.com/plus.
NFL+ is available for $6.99/month or $49.99/year and offers the following:
- Live out-of-market preseason games across devices
- Live local and prime-time regular-season and postseason games on your phone or tablet
- Live game audio (home, away & national calls) for every game of the season
- NFL Films on-demand content, ad-free
- Ad-free highlights from every NFL game
- Fantasy+
- NFL Network
NFL+ Premium is available for $14.99/month or $99.99/year and offers all NFL+ features and the following:
- Full-game replays across devices
- Condensed game replays across devices
- Coaches film
- RedZone from NFL Network
