Dec 31, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) looks on before the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
You’ve reached the “trade Justin Jefferson” portion of the Minnesota Vikings offseason, and it’s only about eight days into the party.
The league’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year is on deck for a mammoth contract extension, but according to Bleacher Report, that won’t take place in Minnesota.
Jefferson could become an Arizona Cardinal after a swap of assets, says BR’s Alex Kay.
All Vikings leaders — the ownership, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, and head coach Kevin O’Connell — have stated for one year their desire to employ Jefferson for the long haul, insinuating that a contract extension was a no-brainer and only a matter of time before an agreement would finalize.
But Kay ignored that context, suggesting Minnesota will trade Jefferson to the desert for a 2024 1st-Round pick (4th overall), next year’s 1st-Rounder, and an additional 3rd-Rounder in 2024. He explained, “Minnesota could instead look to capitalize on Jefferson’s immense trade value to jump-start the type of rebuilding process that the NFC North rival Detroit Lions recently underwent by trading away star quarterback Matthew Stafford.”
Jefferson will turn 25 in June and is considered by most to be the NFL’s best wide receiver.
“A franchise like the Arizona Cardinals could be highly interested if Jefferson becomes available. Arizona is loaded with draft capital this year, owning 13 selections overall, with six of them coming in the top 90 and two in the first round. Converting some of those picks into a player of Jefferson’s caliber would be a shrewd move for a franchise looking to contend again with a healthy Kyler Murray at the helm,” Kay continued.
In theory, the Vikings would use the 4th overall pick on a quarterback like Jayden Daniels (LSU) and lean heavily on Jordan Addison and a wide receiver to be named later in the future offense.
Kay concluded, “Given Arizona’s leading pass-catcher was tight end Trey McBride (81 receptions, 825 yards and three touchdowns) this past season, it’s obvious the squad needs to bring in an elite receiver to round out the offense. Drafting someone like Marvin Harrison Jr. could be an option at No. 4 overall, but using that pick to land a sure-thing in Jefferson via trade should be even more alluring.”
Arizona is substantially more likely to stay put at No. 4 and draft Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State) outright than trade the farm for Jefferson and hand him at least $30 million per season.
Other entities like Minnesota’s own SKOR North have recently advanced the trade-Jefferson theories, too.
“I don’t want to be the Vikings’ GM without that guy on our team,’ Adofo-Mensah declared at the 2023 NFL Combine, referring to Jefferson.
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.