1 Guy Wants to Put the Vikings ‘On His Back’
Dustin Baker
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There are still about six months before the Minnesota Vikings play a meaningful football game, but when they do, wide receiver Justin Jefferson will continue to put the franchise on his back.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah shared a story Tuesday at the NFL Combine detailing Jefferson’s personality, and unsurprisingly, it was Jordanesque.
1 Guy Wants to Put the Vikings ‘On His Back’
Jefferson is expected to extend his contract with the Vikings this offseason, an agreement that should fetch between $30 and $35 million per season.
Foremost, Adofo-Mensah shared his extreme commitment to retaining Jefferson for the long term. He was asked about Jefferson’s upcoming extension, and the young executive replied, “I don’t want to be the Vikings GM without that guy on the roster.”
Jefferson, 23, has sliced and diced the NFL in his first three seasons, winning the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award in 2022, tallying the most receiving yards in NFL history by a player in his first three seasons, and breaking Vikings records for most receptions and receiving yards in a season.
Adding context to his relationship with Jefferson, Adofo-Mensah shared another story, “He just wants to win. The first time I met him, actually, we walk in the building, and I made a joke about something that was happening with a wide receiver at the time, about their contract. I just laughed and said, ‘we won’t have any issues.’ And he said, ‘I just want to put wins on the board.'”
“He didn’t smile, and it wasn’t this haha thing. The way he said it — that’s the guy you see on Sunday who won’t turn down double teams, whole defenses designed to stop him. He’s trying to put the Minnesota Vikings on his back,” Adofo-Mensah said about Jefferson.
And that’s why Jefferson is such an incredibly valuable commodity, especially for a man who doesn’t turn 24 years old until this summer. He’s unselfish, hellbent on winning, and hungry.
The Vikings shouldn’t have too many problems locking up Jefferson for the next five to seven years, either. After the franchise lost in the playoffs to the New York Giants, reporters asked Jefferson about his desire to stay in Minnesota, and he replied, “I mean, I will be wherever I’m wanted. If they want me here, I’m here.”
Plus, on his motivation to be the league’s best wideout, Jefferson has backed that up, too. Eight months ago, Jefferson told Complex’s Kameron Hay, “I’ll say after this year, I’ll be the best receiver in the NFL.”
Fast forward to the 2023 offseason, and Jefferson is widely considered the top WR in the business, passing Miami Dolphins playmaker Tyreek Hill and Las Vegas Raiders wideout Davante Adams in 2022.
“I definitely have to give it to Davante Adams as of now, him being so crazy and dynamic on the field. His route running is crazy, so I definitely have to give it to him right now, but I’m pretty sure after this year, it’s going to be me,” Jefferson added back in July.
A Jefferson-Vikings extension should be announced in the coming weeks. After that, the Vikings belong on his back for several more years.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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