Nov 14, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) flexes to the crowd after hanging on to a complete pass for a first down in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports.
Justin Jefferson is attached to the Minnesota Vikings’ books through the end of 2028, conveniently the expiration date of rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s rookie contract.
McCarthy won’t see a regular season field until 2025 because of a meniscus injury, but when he returns, he and Jefferson, in theory, should feast.
And this week, Jefferson, who signed a whopping four-year, $140 million contract extension in June, explained why he stayed in Minnesota. In short, the culture, coaching staff, and fans sealed the deal.
Jefferson told Kay Adams on The Up and Adams Show this week, “That connection is just not found anywhere. Especially the connection I have with KO (Kevin O’Connell), having a head coach that’s that player-oriented, that I have a very close connection with, it’s not something that you can find at the next team.”
The contract extension negotiation certainly wasn’t short. Jefferson and the Vikings’ brass worked toward the extension for about a year and a half. In the end, Jefferson stuck around despite his quarterback, Kirk Cousins, vamoosing for the Atlanta Falcons in March.
“The whole organization, the facility, even our stadium, our fan base, everything is just high quality, top tier in this league,” Jefferson added.
After the extension, Jefferson personally tweeted his gratitude. “Something that once was a dream is now my reality. There are so many people that I can sit here and thank but you all know who you are that helped me along the way. But we ain’t stopping here … There’s more to be done… SKOL!!!!!!!” he wrote on the X app.
The hints of a positive culture and relationship with his head coach are especially refreshing after former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer offered bizarre comments last weekend. Following his January 2022 termination, the Vikings’ owners, Mark and Zygi Wilf, asked Zimmer if he wished to address his football team — basically to say goodbye, a farewell address. According to Zimmer, he had no interest. “They asked me if I wanted to address the team. And I said, ‘Hell, no. They got me fired!'” Zimmer told the Star Tribune in an interview.
“I can tell you I’ve not watched one Minnesota game since,” Zimmer added.
“We’re averaging 10 wins a year playing really good defense with some other quarterbacks who weren’t as talented as Kirk,” Zimmer noted. “Then we paid Kirk a lot of money and ended up having to get rid of some guys on defense and weren’t able to get ones we needed.”
Jefferson now has a head coach who doesn’t fancy grudge-holding or strange after-the-fact score-settling.
Equipped with a new contract, Jefferson and the Vikings take on the New York Giants this Sunday at MetLife Stadium and are favored to win by a point or two.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.