Vikings GM’s Revealing Quote about Justin Jefferson’s Future
Dustin Baker
|
A Justin Jefferson contract extension is at the top of the Minnesota Vikings 2023 offseason to-do list.
The Vikings selected Jefferson from Round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft, and the phenom wideout is committed to the franchise until the end of 2024 — no matter what. However, now is the time when Jefferson and Minnesota’s brass hash out a contract extension, an agreement that will likely glue Jefferson to the Vikings roster for the next five to seven years.
Vikings GM’s Revealing Quote about Justin Jefferson’s Future
And at the 2023 NFL Combine on Tuesday, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah revealed his intentions with a meaty quote about Jefferson’s future in Minnesota.
Adofo-Mensah was asked about the timetable and likelihood of a Jefferson extension in the coming weeks or months, and he replied, “I don’t want to be the Vikings GM without that guy on the roster.“
If that isn’t an outward commitment and hint about getting a deal with Jefferson done this offseason — nothing is.
Jefferson, 23, has torn the league apart since leaving LSU three years ago. He won the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award in 2022, owns the most receiving yards in NFL history by a player in his first three seasons, and already set the Vikings records for most receptions and receiving yards in a season. Too, Jefferson chased Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving yards record and the elusive 2,000+ yards in a season mark for most of the 2022 regular season but came up short in the season’s final two games.
His next contract is expected to set the market and tip the scales at $30 to $35 million per season. The deal could be announced any day, or talks could drag into the spring.
Late last summer, Jefferson said to the Pioneer Press, “I’ll focus on contract after the season. Our main thing is reaching to that goal, but I’m not really too fond of money. I’m really just trying to get that goal of being the best receiver.”
Moreover, after the Vikings lost to the New York Giants in the postseason six weeks ago, Jefferson stated he has no plans of venturing elsewhere, telling reporters, “I mean, I will be wherever I’m wanted. If they want me here, I’m here.”
Couple Jefferson’s desire to stay in Minnesota with Adofo-Mensah’s revelation that he doesn’t even want to work for the Vikings if Jefferson isn’t on the roster — and deal-wrangling should be relatively straightforward.
Jefferson is expected to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history when the deal is reached.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.