Jefferson's contract stalemate should work to WR's benefit

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Jefferson's contract stalemate with Vikings should work to WR's benefit

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Sep 9, 2023 8:33 PM ET

Justin Jefferson's proven to be a hard man to lock down on the football field. It turns out that he's also hard to lock down off of it, too.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Saturday that Minnesota and Jefferson failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension. While that might raise some alarm, it really shouldn't.

The Vikings have Jefferson's fifth-year option for 2024, plus the franchise tag after that, so he isn't going anywhere.

Vikings’ All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson is not expected to sign a contract extension before Sunday’s opener, per sources. Both sides made a strong effort to get a deal done, but the plan now is to revisit after the season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 9, 2023

Plus, as Schefter notes, the two sides can pick negotiations back up at any time. Jefferson's value is only going to escalate, so Minnesota will likely have some more urgency during the offseason to hammer out the details of an extension.

Jefferson's 4,825 receiving yards are the most in the NFL among wide receivers since he was drafted 22nd overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Per PlayerProfiler, he ranked first in expected points added among receivers last season while leading the league in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809). He was named First-Team All-Pro for the first time in his career, also winning Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year.

On Wednesday, 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa became the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL when he signed a five-year, $170M extension with an average annual value of $34M.

Last offseason, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill reset the wide receiver market by signing a four-year, $120M contract worth $30M per year annually.

Jefferson is going to exceed that total, and likely Bosa's, too. The Vikings began preparing for his eventual extension by parting with veterans including linebacker Eric Kendricks, wide receiver Adam Thielen and running back Dalvin Cook during the offseason.

He didn't get his payday this year but it's coming. When it gets here, Minnesota will wish it could have locked him down sooner.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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