Justin Jefferson breaks San Francisco 49ers' ankles and NFL record with 97-yard touchdown

Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson broke an NFL record which has stood for 74 years with a mesmerizing 97-yard touchdown catch and run versus the San Francisco 49ers .

An incredible throw from Sam Darnold from his team's end zone was caught perfectly by Jefferson as a footrace then ensued, in which he burned past two opponents downfield before the wide receiver scored the first touchdown of the contest. The inspired scenes led to rapturous celebrations on field as the Vikings established a 10-0 lead with 9:35 remaining of the second quarter.

Last season, the former LSU star finished over 1,000 yards, while only tallying up five touchdowns in a mixed campaign. Jefferson came into the clash having caught four passes for 59 yards and a touchdown in the thrilling 28-6 win over the New York Giants in Week 1.

• Joe Burrow speaks out on gatorade bottle incident and doesn't give fans confidence

• Kyler Murray's Marvin Harrison Jr. comments leave NFL fans with raised eyebrows

However, he could not have predicted producing a moment at U.S. Bank Stadium which will go down in the history books - as the TD pass set a new record as the longest ever in the league. The pass from Darnold to Jefferson is the new standard-bearer, with the previous being a 96-yard pass from Tobin Rote to Billy Grimes for the Packers back in 1950.

This was not the only milestone Jefferson will be celebrating reaching following the clash with the 49ers either, with the Vikings ace having passed 6000 career receiving yards during the game. In reaching this landmark in 62 games, this put him level in terms of being the fastest player in NFL history to reach that figure.

The play garnered widespread praise on social media as fans lauded both Darnold and Jefferson for their efforts, as one user said: "Incredible throw. But absolutely baffling why our safeties are the ones guarding the best Wr in the league, while another said: "JJ showing the 9ers why they wanted to trade for him.

A third person was duly left in awe by what they had witnessed as they commented: "This legit might be one of the best plays ever, while a fourth predicted: "Jefferson is the [Greatest of All Time]!! MVP of the NFL this year, as another added: "Sam Darnold and Derek Carr MVP candidates in 2024."

The memorable moment comes after Jefferson's remarks about teams taking a different approach when it comes to defending against his threat. Making a comparison with the New York Jets' Garrett Wilson, he simply said: "I mean, respectfully, I'm not Garrett Wilson.

"Teams play me totally different. There's things that I can take from that game for sure. Things that I can take from last year, how they played us last year. But I've seen it, teams play me totally different when I'm on the field versus when I'm not out there on the field."

Ahead of the game with the 49ers, he commented: "I love man-to-man coverage. That's something that I feed off of. But I'm also looking for the double team, the safety help over top, and we have plays for that."