The Vikings prized possession Justin Jefferson is up for a contract extension and given that they weren’t able to hold on to Cousins, they would be hoping things don’t end up similarly with Jefferson. Given the recent boom in the receiver market following Tyreek’s lucrative contract with the Dolphins. and now, with Mike Evans earning $26 million annually from the Buccaneers, a new contract for former LSU wideouts is expected to be bigger than most receivers around the league. And DeAndre Hopkins has an idea of what it should look like.
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The Viking receiver is currently valued at $29.4 million and is expected to land himself a 4 yrs, $117,648,284 contract. However, many reports suggest that his contract could be upwards of even $30 million, which won’t be surprising given the fact he had another 1000-yard season despite playing only 10 games throughout the season.
Tyreek Hill currently earns the highest salary as a receiver, thanks to his 4-year $120 million contract. Former Cardinals receiver Deandre Hopkins on X asserted that given the inflated position of the market, with teams dolling out massive contracts, he feels Jefferson is worth nearly $40 million a year.
The Vikings will be hoping to negotiate a contract extension sooner rather than later, as he approaches the final year of his contract and negotiations won’t be easy as the team faces uncertainty in the QB position.
Justin Jefferson Contract Situation
Justin Jefferson moves into the final year of his rookie contract. Drafted out of LSU, in the first round, he signed a 4 year, $13,122,805 fully guaranteed contract with the Vikings. The deal earns him an average annual salary of $3,280,701. The franchise exercised the fifth-year option for 2024 available for the first-round picks, which will see him earn $19,743,000 as per Spotrac.
He will be a free agent next season, and given that he has proved his worth, Minnesota would like to tie him down on a big contract. Even though they still have a season to negotiate a contract, they might not want to wait just like they did with Cousins. Jefferson is ready to break the bank, and some people believe he could get a five-year deal worth $172.5 million with $125 million guaranteed.
However, according to Mike Florio, the holdup is not the money but the structure of the contract. Former LSU wideout would need guaranteed money, which the Vikings will not be prepared to give beyond the first year of the contract. The franchise could still trade him for a good amount of draft picks just like the Chiefs traded Hill. However, that decision won’t go down well with the fans as the team has lost Steffon Diggs and Randy Moss in recent years as per Sports Illustrated.
The contract extension will also become difficult now that the team has also lost Cousins, with whom Jefferson had developed a chemistry. With no stable QB at the helm, and the team running out of options in free agency, the 2022 AP Offensive Player of the Season might think about jumping ships because while money is important to him and he wants to be a star of the team, winning might also factor in his decision.
