Justin Jefferson Recruits 6-Time Pro Bowler for Vikings’ Roster
It was probably all for show, but Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson did his part via team-building.
Justin Jefferson Recruits 6-Time Pro Bowler for Vikings’ Roster
The 2022 Offensive Player of the Year openly recruited the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, this week, suggesting the phenom EDGE rusher should join the Vikings’ roster this offseason.
“Myles, you know where to go, brother. Hey, we need one, two extra pieces, and you’ll fill in that piece. We need you,” Jefferson recently told Garrett from afar on a USA Today podcast.
Of course, Jefferson was prompted to “say something” to Garrett, so it shouldn’t be construed that the Vikings wideout desperately pleaded for his services or anything of the sort. It’s just that any team landing Garrett this offseason would handsomely upgrade its roster.
Two weeks ago, Garrett notified the world that he’d like to be traded from the Cleveland Browns, his long-time employer. “As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl-and that goal fuels me today more than ever. My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fanbase of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today,” Garrett wrote.
The eventual trade price, assuming the Browns don’t play hardball with Garrett, will be truly massive. Even at age 29, some team will pay at least a 1st-Round pick for Garrett and probably a lot more.
Garrett then cut to the chase, “While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl. With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”
Garrett is a six-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro, and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023.
Fans of every NFL team sprinted to social media that early February day, making their case for Garrett, even if just one squad can win the Garrett trade sweepstakes.
Realistically, Minnesota has three prominent EDGE rushers: Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner. Spending resources on Garrett might be a little strange inside an offseason when the Vikings need cornerback, interior defensive line, and interior offensive line aid.
Still, Jefferson believes his team is a piece or two away from The Promised Land, and Garrett could help it achieve a Super Bowl triumph.
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.
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