Justin Jefferson was absent from the Minnesota Vikings facilities on Monday due to contract negotiations and the start of voluntary organized offseason activities, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The All-Pro receiver also missed voluntary offseason programs in 2023 while looking for a new deal. He reported to mandatory minicamp last June and played last season without agreeing to an extension.
Assuming Jefferson misses the rest of this month’s volunteer programs, the focus around his negotiations will shift to the mandatory mini-camp in Minnesota, which runs June 4-6. Will the two sides reach a deal before minicamp? If not, would he report this season without an extension?
Jefferson looking for lucrative long-term extension
Jefferson is approaching the final year of his five-year rookie contract and is due $19.7 million in 2024 on the fifth-year option exercised by the Vikings. He has made $13.3 million over the last four years of his contract.
Jefferson, a three-time All-Pro and the 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, has proven to be arguably the best receiver in football over his four seasons. He has significantly outpaced his rookie contract since being selected 22nd overall by the Vikings in the 2020 NFL Draft and is getting one of the richest non-quarterback contracts in the league.
QB uncertainty, AJ Brown deal raises the stakes
Adding to the intrigue surrounding his negotiations is the renewed uncertainty at quarterback in Minnesota. Kirk Cousins left this offseason to join the Atlanta Falcons after six seasons with the Vikings. Minnesota traded up to select Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy in April’s draft. He will compete with Sam Darnold for the starting job in the fall and is the likely quarterback of the future.
Darnold has been demoted to NFL backup status after disappointing as a No. 3 overall draft pick in 2018. McCarthy’s viability as an NFL starter has yet to be determined. Whoever wins the job this fall would benefit significantly from Jefferson’s presence in the lineup. Signing him to a long-term deal is a top priority in Minnesota.
“We believe he is the best receiver in the league, and he should be compensated as such,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in February, shooting down rumors that Minnesota was considering trading Jefferson.
The Philadelphia Eagles signed AJ Brown to a three-year, $96 million contract with $84 million in guaranteed money in April, setting a new bar for wide receiver contracts that Jefferson will certainly look to exceed.
