NFL Insider Provides Massive Update On Vikings’ Talks With Justin Jefferson

The Minnesota Vikings have still not reached a long-term contract with Justin Jefferson in spite of the fact that the superstar wide receiver is entering the final year of his deal.

But rest easy, Vikings fans. An agreement may be coming soon.

During an appearance on SportsCenter on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said he expects the two sides to hammer something out, and when a deal does get done, it will be huge.

“When this deal gets done, and I think it will eventually get done, it is expected to make Justin Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history,” Schefter said (h/t Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report).

This isn’t too surprising.

The general expectation all along has been that Jefferson will become the most expensive non-quarterback ever, with many anticipating that he will earn in the neighborhood of $35 million annually. For reference, Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown is currently the highest-paid receiver in the NFL, making $32 million per year.

“So it will be a landmark type of a deal, and I think some of the other wide receivers are waiting to see where the Justin Jefferson deal comes in before they do a deal because they know the size and scope of this deal that the two sides have been working on throughout the course of the offseason,” Schefter said.

Right now, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is the highest-paid non-quarterback. The 49ers handed him a five-year, $170 million extension before last season.

Jefferson, who played his collegiate football at LSU, was selected by the Vikings with the 22nd overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.

He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, with his best year coming in 2022 when he led the league in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809) to go along with eight touchdowns. He also earned a First-Team All-Pro selection that season.

Jefferson played in just 10 games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury, but he still managed to catch 68 passes for 1,074 yards and five scores.

Minnesota has maintained all along that it has every intention of keeping Jefferson long term, and Jefferson has not shown any indication that he wants to play elsewhere.

There was some trade speculation surrounding Jefferson earlier this offseason, but that seemed to be fan and media conjecture more than anything concrete.

We’ll see if the Vikings are able to get something done with Justin Jefferson in the coming weeks or months.