Bleacher Report Predicts Price of Justin Jefferson’s Mega Deal
Dustin Baker
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When the 2024 NFL Draft ends on Saturday, April 27th, all things Minnesota Vikings will turn to Justin Jefferson and his upcoming contract extension.
Bleacher Report Predicts Price of Justin Jefferson’s Mega Deal
Because the Vikings are reportedly quarterback shopping in the draft and the fact Minnesota hasn’t used Round 1 capital at the position in a decade, the franchise’s fans are completely immersed in learning the identity of Kirk Cousins’ replacement.
Otherwise, Jefferson’s impending extension would be all the craze, as the 24-year-old wideout is expected to make history when his new agreement is finalized. He’ll become the richest wide receiver in NFL history and maybe even the highest-paid non-quarterback the sport has ever witnessed.
And according to Bleacher Report, Jefferson’s next deal will check in around $34.1 million per season. That’s the formal prediction. “Projected Outcome: Jefferson signs a five-year, $170.5 million contract in 2024 with Minnesota that includes $123 million in guarantees,” BR’s Gary Davenport predicted for Jefferson this week.
Research any “through first four seasons of a player’s career” receiving yard metric, and Jefferson will own it. That’s how dynamic the playmaker has performed since 2020, even after missing seven games last season.
Davenport also wrote, “Jefferson certainly has a strong case for that megadeal. Over his first three seasons, Jefferson tallied more receiving yards than any wideout in NFL history. He eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in 2023 despite playing in just 10 games. There has been speculation that Minnesota could trade Jefferson as part of their reset. But while addressing the media at the combine, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah called reports Jefferson could be dealt ‘completely false.'”
Many have speculated about a Jefferson trade, mainly because a deal didn’t get completed last offseason and NFL media loves to envision him on a different team. But Vikings leaders have insisted down the line for over a year that a Jefferson trade is off-limits.
“Anything is possible if the right offer comes along, but the most likely outcome here remains the best wide receiver in the NFL getting his wish — and becoming the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league,” Davenport concluded.
Jefferson said at the Super Bowl’s radio row in February about his future in Minnesota, “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.”
He also added on the same day, “I’m definitely grateful for what Minnesota has done for me. I definitely wouldn’t be in this situation if they didn’t pick me, to be the fifth receiver taken. With everything that has happened and everything I have gave to the organization, of course, I want to stay.”
Minnesota is perfectly positioned to oblige Jefferson’s asking price — even at $34.1 million annually, per Bleacher Report — because the would-be rookie quarterback’s deal will be affordable for the next 4-5 years. It’s time to pair an expensive Jefferson with a cheap rookie passer, which was probably general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s plan all along after taking the big job in January 2022.
Jefferson will turn 25 in June.
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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