Justin Jefferson Update Isn’t Ideal
Minnesota Vikings mandatory minicamp kicks off in about three weeks, but before that, folks want to know when Justin Jefferson’s extension will be complete.
Justin Jefferson Update Isn’t Ideal
The 24-year-old has been eligible for an extension, and many wonder about the hold-up. The Vikings’ front office and Jefferson have worked toward an extension for about 17 months, and both sides have sounded amicable about finalizing a deal before too long. But then nothing ever happens.
And according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, Jefferson’s extension may be drawn out even further, possibly 2-3 more months. The Vikings evidently have a preference for such deals on our after July 31st.
“There’s a number of reasons to think an extension might take until closer to the season. The Vikings have a policy with their signing bonuses where July 31st is kind of a key date and they might want to wait until after that,” Graziano recently stated on NFL Live.
While no extension for Jefferson might’ve caused some heartburn among fans, other players from Jefferson’s class, like CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys and Tristan Wirfs from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are also waiting for contracts. Jefferson is not on an island.
Graziano added, “And think about the agent, Brian Ayrault, who represents Justin Jefferson. Last year, he represented Joe Burrow and Nick Bosa. Burrow, now the highest-paid player in the league, Bosa, now the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league, and those deals got done pretty close to the start of the regular season. So I would preach patience on the Justin Jefferson deal.”
Thanks to Sportrac, the value of Jefferson’s would-be extension became clearer last week. That site calculated Jefferson’s calculated market value at $32.5 million per season while spitballing that Minnesota will likely award the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year a deal for four years and $140 million.
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti wrote last week, “The modern-day GOAT now knows who the next QB in Minnesota will be. Is a historic extension for JJ next on the Vikings’ to-do list? It’s perfectly plausible that Jefferson and his camp would rather wait for CeeDee Lamb and/or Ja’Marr Chase to lock in their own deals before finalizing his own numbers, but neither of those scenarios seem close to their respective finish lines.”
Ginnitti concluded, “Adding 4 years and $140M to his current $19.7M guaranteed salary for 2024 seems like a logical floor here.”
So, this is the current state of play on Jefferson’s deal: It may not come to fruition until around the start of preseason games, and when that happens, $35 million per season is the ballpark amount.
No matter what, his deal will reset the market for all wide receivers and possibly nominate Jefferson as the richest non-quarterback in the history of the NFL.
Jefferson will turn 25 in 33 days.
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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 Vikings 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.
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