Highest-Paid WR Sets Bar for Justin Jefferson
The Minnesota Vikings have been working all offseason on hammering out a deal for Justin Jefferson, and while Tyreek Hill previously set the parameters, there’s a new leader in the clubhouse. Detroit Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown got paid on Wednesday, and he is now the owner of the best-paying deal at the position across the league.
Highest-Paid WR Sets Bar for Justin Jefferson
The Detroit Lions have been looking for a star wide receiver for years. While Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson teamed up to create a star tandem for years, that sort of connection has largely been hit or miss in the seasons since. Jared Goff came to Detroit looking to lead the franchise in a new direction, and the emergence of Amon-Ra St. Brown has helped allow him to do so.
A fourth-round pick from USC, St. Brown wasn’t seen as a superstar talent when going through the draft process, and he didn’t hit 1,000 yards in a season until his second year in the league. Surpassing the 1,500-yard mark last year, he has fully entrenched himself as among the league’s best wide receivers, and now he is being paid as such.
Owning the largest contract at the wide receiver position is something of a gold standard, but it’s one that St. Brown should expect to hold for just a matter of days. There is simply no way that the Minnesota Vikings will be trading Justin Jefferson, and he will absolutely break the bank with the deal that he agrees to.
The $120 million and $77 million guaranteed are gaudy numbers for St. Brown, but Jefferson should be expected to blow by both. He will get paid on a scale we have never previously seen for a wide receiver, and given his production thus far, it makes sense why that will happen.
Minnesota has had ample opportunity to dominate headlines this offseason by getting the Jefferson extension done, but they have yet to work it to fruition. That could happen at any time; when it does, there will be widespread reaction throughout the league. With a new quarterback set to step foot in the building during the coming days, it’s a good time to be a Vikings fan.
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.
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