There were a lot of eyes on the Minnesota Vikings and WR Justin Jefferson this offseason. Jefferson is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL and Minnesota faced the possibility of losing him to free agency. Well, not only is Jefferson staying put but he is also receiving a record contract extension.
Justin Jefferson to Receive 4-Year, $140 Million Contract Extension
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Minnesota Vikings and Justin Jefferson have agreed to a historic contract extension. He will receive $140 million over four years. Of that $140 million, $110 million is guaranteed.
With this contract, Jefferson will be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL annually. His $35 million annual salary tops A.J. Brown at the wide receiver position.
This comes after several trade proposals were made along with some wild speculation. Recently, Justin Jefferson was spotted in Florham Park, New Jersey, where the New York Jets have their OTAs. As a result, some people started imagining the idea of Jefferson receiving passes from Aaron Rodgers. With this announced contract extension, that vision will remain a fantasy.
Looking Back at Justin Jefferson’s Career
Jefferson captivated football fans from the very beginning of his career. How did he do this? He has 392 receptions, 5,899 receiving yards, and 30 touchdown receptions in his career over the last four seasons.
So, there should have been no question that Jefferson was going to get an extension, right? Well, not necessarily.
Last season, Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury that caused him to miss seven games last season. Despite this, he still put up decent numbers when he was on the field. Jefferson had 68 receptions, 1,074 receiving yards, and five touchdown receptions in 2023.
Minnesota Vikings Moving Forward
So, what does this mean for the Minnesota Vikings? It means the team has locked down their top wide receiver for four more years. This also allows the Vikings to turn their current wide receiver duo into an elite one in the NFL.
Jordan Addison shined in his rookie year with the Vikings. What did he do? He had 70 receptions, 911 receiving yards, and 10 touchdown receptions in 17 games.
Minnesota will have these two wide receivers to help develop a rookie quarterback. Next season, J.J. McCarthy is expected to take over. Considering he won a national championship with Michigan shortly before getting drafted and will be able to throw the ball to these two wide receivers, you can argue McCarthy made a soft landing in the NFL.
Get More Gridiron Heroics Content
For more news and trends in the NFL and College Football, click here or follow me on Twitter @JohnGalletley.
