Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said they paused contract talks with WR Justin Jefferson during the draft but intend to pick them back up.
“We continue to have great dialogue with their representatives,” Adofo-Mensah said. “The process is still ongoing. We did say, ‘Hey, [let’s pause] a couple days.’ The draft’s coming. They have players they represent. We have our process.
“Either way, whenever we sign him, we want Justin to have his whole week. 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.”
Jefferson hasn’t been at OTAs for the Vikings since they opened earlier this month. The two sides negotiated last year but were unable to reach an agreement. Since then, the receiver market has grown even more.
Jefferson remains under contract for one more season under the fifth-year option and both sides seem open to a new deal — one that will almost certainly make Jefferson one of the highest-paid players in football.
“I’m definitely aware of what I’ve been doing for the organization, what I’ve done ever since I’ve stepped foot on this NFL field,” Jefferson said, via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “So I’m definitely going to do what’s right by getting the amount that I feel like I’m valued. I definitely will keep in mind the different stats and where I am as a player and as a receiver. So I’m definitely going to let the agent and all of that do all of the different negotiations and the different numbers. But I definitely would like and hope to be one of the highest-paid players and especially receivers.”
Jefferson, 24, was a two-year starter at LSU and set the single-season record for receptions in 2019 before being selected by the Vikings with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Jefferson just finished the fourth year of a four-year, $13,122,805 rookie contract, including a $7,103,858 signing bonus. The Vikings picked up Jefferson’s fifth-year option which will cost them $19,743,000 fully guaranteed for the 2024 season.
He’s set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
In 2023, Jefferson appeared in 10 games for the Vikings and recorded 68 receptions on 100 targets for 1,074 yards and five touchdowns.
We will have more on Jefferson as the news is available.
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