Vikings GM Updates Justin Jefferson’s Contract Situation
It’s on the way, and the franchise wants to give Justin Jefferson a whole month in the spotlight.
Vikings GM Updates Justin Jefferson’s Contract Situation
That’s the word on Jefferson’s impending contract extension, on deck to be the largest in NFL history for a wide receiver and perhaps the most for a non-quarterback ever. Jefferson and the Vikings’ front office have worked toward an extension for over a year, and the two sides are likely mere days from finalizing the agreement.
“Whenever we sign him, we want Justin to have his whole week … I think Justin would deserve his whole month if we signed a contract to celebrate it,” Adofo-Mensah said last week, answering a question about Jefferson’s contract status.
Many believed Jefferson wanted to “wait and see who the quarterback would be,” and after the 2024 NFL Draft, Minnesota provided a resounding answer: J.J. McCarthy. The Michigan Wolverine slid down the draftboard to the Vikings, and Adofo-Mensah had to trade up the board just one spot for McCarthy, a swap with the New York Jets. For months, folks theorized a large trade into the Top 5 was necessary to draft McCarthy or his draft mate Drake Maye, but the forecast was false for McCarthy. Minnesota drafted him with the 10th overall pick.
Adofo-Mensah added, “You know that friend that has a birthday that takes the month? I think Justin would deserve his whole month if we signed a contract to celebrate it. We’re excited to work towards it. We’re going to keep going. You can’t have all these plans when you talk about all these visions and not talk about the king linchpin, so we’re going to keep working toward that end goal.”
Adofo-Mensah and Jefferson’s camp were incredibly close to locking in his long-term deal right before the 2023 regular season kicked off, but at the last minute, the sides postponed talks to, well, now.
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.”
The man will indeed break the bank — probably very soon.
For a few months, NFL-themed media has speculated Jefferson could be traded, but Minnesota’s leadership has smacked those fringe chirps down every step of the way.
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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