The Minnesota Vikings still have not reached a long-term agreement with wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and they are running out of time.
Jefferson is entering the final year of his deal and has been more than patient with the Vikings, who, for some reason, continue to drag their feet when it comes to extending the superstar pass-catcher.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders what the hold up is and says that if Minnesota is not going to pay him, it should recoup some value for him by trading him.
“Some things are complicated. Some things aren’t. For the Vikings, this is as simple as it gets: Pay receiver Justin Jefferson or trade him to someone who will,” Florio wrote. “If they intend to pay him, what’s the delay? It won’t get cheaper over time. The best thing to do is to just do it now, make him happy, and move forward.”
At this point, you have to wonder just how frustrated Jefferson is with the Vikings.
Not only has the team not given him a new deal, but it allowed Kirk Cousins to walk in free agency and doesn’t even know who its quarterback will be in 2024.
Minnesota did sign Sam Darnold, but he is nothing more than a capable backup or a bridge starter. The Vikings own the 11th and 23rd overall picks in the NFL Draft this month, and there has been talk about them potentially trading up for a quarterback. But what if they can’t?
In that scenario, Minnesota would probably have to settle for Oregon’s Bo Nix or maybe Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., who are, by and large, ranked the fifth and sixth-best quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class.
Would Jefferson even want to sign an extension if that ends up being the case?
Perhaps the Vikings will get something done with Justin Jefferson before the draft next week, but if they don’t and they strike out on getting an NFL-ready quarterback, they may run into some serious issues.
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