Vikings Fact or Fiction: Justin Jefferson’s Price, Jayden Daniels in the Draft, Greg Joseph

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

A new publication from VikingsTerritory, we unveil the Vikings Fact or Fiction of the day.

Vikings Fact or Fiction: Justin Jefferson’s Price, Jayden Daniels in the Draft, Greg Joseph

Fact or Fiction is exactly what it sounds like — explaining credible or false on the keynote Vikings’ topics of the day. There’s always some degree of rumor in an NFL team’s orbit, and Minnesota isn’t excluded.

Jayden Daniels
Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports.

Here’s the batch for March 28th.

Fact or Fiction: Justin Jefferson’s next contract will check in around five years and $150 million.

vikings
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Pioneer Press’ Charley Walters wrote last weekend about Jefferson’s impending cost, “The Vikings drafting a QB will be very affordable for three years, allowing the team the anticipated $150 million deal for receiver Justin Jefferson.”

And this is probably close to correct. The Vikings leaders haven’t been shy about acknowledging Jefferson’s upcoming ginormous price tag. Sooner or later, they just have to lock in and pay the man.

Jefferson said at the Super Bowl’s radio row in February, “I want to break the bank, and I want to be a part of an organization that wants me and really gives me what I deserve. I feel like eventually, the Vikings will do what they need to do to have me in the building but I don’t really know at this moment. Only time will tell. I feel like I have the right people in my circle to negotiate and to do what’s right, and I feel like this whole process of how we handle things, I feel like we did a great job with it.”

So, it’s comin’.

We predict the deal will be something like four years and $132 million.

Verdict: Fact. 😤

Fact or Fiction: Jayden Daniels remains in play for the Vikings.

Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly spoke highly of his quarterback at Daniels’ Pro Day, but near the end of his speech, Kelly point-blank said that Daniels would make big plays in the NFL — for the Washington Commanders.

“He’s gonna get the ball out to his playmakers and make plays for Washington,” Kelly told reporters about Daniels’ upside in the NFL. Yes, it seems Kelly accidentally spilled the beans.

Vegas odds, too, suggest Daniels is good to go as a Commander.

When the dust settles, we believe Daniels will go to No. 2 Washington and thus be unavailable to the Vikings.

Verdict: Fiction.

Fact or Fiction: Greg Joseph will be the Packers’ kicker this fall.

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Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

Joseph indeed signed with the Packers this week, but Green Bay already has two kickers. One is the brother of former Vikings kicker Daniel Carlson, Anders Carlson, and the other is ex-Vikings kicker Jack Podlesny.

Green Bay signed Joseph to compete for the kicker job. He isn’t a shoo-in to win it. In fact, Carlson is probably the frontrunner. There’s still a long way to go — the spring and summer — for Joseph to win the job.

Verdict: Fiction.


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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 MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.