Sep 11, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates his touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
There was no reason to believe Justin Jefferson would be at the Minnesota Vikings’ optional organized team activities. Sure, he could have gotten early reps with rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but the superstar wideout is certainly enjoying his offseason. June represents a different story, however.
This entire offseason has been focused on two key points: finding a future franchise quarterback and securing Justin Jefferson for the long haul. The former was jump-started when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted J.J. McCarthy 10th overall in April’s draft. The latter is still pending, and there appears to be no end in sight.
Minnesota kicks off mandatory minicamp on June 4th. At that point, Jefferson is expected to be in the building. No suggestion of a contract distraction has merit at this point, but with the media begging to talk about it two weeks from now, the refrain will only grow louder as things continue.
Of course, we have seen plenty of contract holdouts over the years. There is simply no reason for Jefferson to put himself in danger of an injury on the field before inking his new deal. He will remain away from the team until the contract is signed, but the Vikings must get it done.
Kevin O’Connell currently constructs an offensive game plan around having the best wide receiver in the game. He will still have that player going forward, but frustrating him over pennies on the dollar from a front office perspective doesn’t make sense. Minnesota has little leverage at this point. They know they need Jefferson’s services, and eventually, a deal is going to get done.
The parameters of said deal have all but been hammered out, and drawing out the process hurts the franchise more than it does the individual talent.
If Jefferson were to be jettisoned elsewhere tomorrow, every team in the league would line up to pay him. Continuing with this charade makes zero sense, and the Vikings allowing any sort of deadlines or absences to come to fruition would be an ugly look. We’re nearing the head of a storyline that has gone on for far too long, and the ball is now completely in the corner of the employer.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.