Everyone but Justin Jefferson Is Becoming a Trend
As you may have heard, the Minnesota Vikings still haven’t signed Justin Jefferson to a massive extension. As you also may have heard, that hasn’t stopped operations around the league for other front offices. Wide receiver deals continue to come to fruition, but not in the form of the most anticipated one.
Everyone but Justin Jefferson Is Becoming a Trend
On Tuesday, the Houston Texans hammered out a new deal with fourth-year wide receiver Nico Collins. The former third-round pick should play an integral part of the offense, with C.J. Stroud spreading the ball between him, Tank Dell, and newly acquired Stefon Diggs. The contract provides yet more money for the wide receiver position, while none of it has gone to Justin Jefferson.
A direct correlation between the deal Collins signed and the one Jefferson ultimately will was never going to be felt. They simply aren’t in the same universe. Truthfully, though, that could also be said for deals signed by both A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown. While talented, none of them are the unquestioned best wideout in the league like Jefferson is.
At this point, it stands to reason that Jefferson could simply wait for every other contract to be completed. Players like Ja’Marr Chase and CeeDee Lamb are both looking to get paid, but they are hoping that Jefferson sets the market. The latter, and truthfully not even the former, have any business using Jefferson’s deal to construct theirs, but now it may be beneficial for the Vikings star to sit back and wait.
At no point has it been ambiguous as to what the demands of Jefferson have been. He’s publicly stated he is looking to break the bank, and his numbers have warranted that even before last season. Signing Jefferson to a deal when first eligible would have made sense for Minnesota, but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has sat on his hands and attempted to bide his time.
The Vikings could end this whole charade tomorrow by signing Jefferson to a deal somewhere in the land of Nick Bosa, who happens to be represented by the same agent. The 49ers edge inked the highest non-guaranteed quarterback contract just last year, and that’s the land the Vikings superstar is probably trying to live in. There isn’t much left for Minnesota to spend on across their roster, and the further this can get kicked down the road, the worse it looks.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.