EAGAN, Minn. – With Justin Jefferson’s huge contract extension now that the Minnesota Vikings are completed, he has a different goal in mind.
“Of course I want to hold on to that gold jacket … when my career is over,” Jefferson said during a news conference about the deal on Tuesday. “I want to be the best player to ever do this.”
WCCO
He’s well on his way there. No wide receiver in NFL history accumulated more yards during his first four seasons than Jefferson’s 5,899. He also has more yards per game (98.3) than any other receiver, averaging 12 more than second-place Calvin Johnson. Throw one Offensive Player of the Year award, three All-Pro nods and a top-five finish in MVP voting and it’s not hard to justify the Vikings giving him “the highest contract for a non-QB in NFL history,” according to them.
“I really think he’s one of the brightest stars in all of professional sports,” said head coach Kevin O’Connell, adding that Jefferson has had one of the “more remarkable starts to a career that our game has really seen, especially at the receiver position.”
The Vikings did not release the exact numbers behind Jefferson’s deal, but said it is a four-year extension that would keep him in Minnesota until 2028. For the 24-year-old Jefferson, the enormous money means a step up in his status. in the team.
“This is the beginning of a lot. This is something I have been waiting for and now that I am the leader of this team and carry myself in a different way,” he said. “I’m going to be on everyone’s heels, I’m going to be tough on everyone and I’m going to make sure that I’m the leader of this team and that we’re working towards where we want to go, which is a world championship.”
Jefferson now has a new quarterback to join him in that quest. Whether this year or later, rookie passer JJ McCarthy is the future of the Vikings offense. Jefferson likes what he’s seen so far.
“I talked to JJ as soon as he got drafted and I told him confidence is the key,” Jefferson said. “Obviously I have JJ in the building, a new energy, a new soul. I love his confidence, I love his attitude and of course him coming off a championship, you can’t have more confidence.”
Despite offseason trade rumors and stalled negotiations, Jefferson and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah both said there was no doubt on either side about getting this deal done.
“Obviously we’ve had a pretty big offseason, but on this day, this move was something that was fundamental to everything we will be as a team this season and in the future,” Adofo-Mensah said.
That “pretty big offseason” included a quarterback changeAn review of the defense and the addition of a new offensive weapon in the former Green Bay Packer running back Aaron Jones. But extending Jefferson is by far the most important move the Vikings have made, and he knows it.
“I feel like we’re on a great path,” Jefferson said. “Just by locking me up for another five years. I told them all that they will get the best out of me, every training, every game.”
