The Minnesota Vikings and star wide receiver Justin Jefferson have agreed to a four-year, $140 million contract extension that includes $110 million guaranteed, sources told KeynoteUSA. The deal makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback player in NFL history.
The deal, which was negotiated by WME Football, includes $88.743 million due at signing. The Vikings announced Monday morning that Jefferson agreed to an extension that will run through the 2028 season, but did not disclose financial terms.
“The time has finally come. The deal I’ve been waiting for since I was a little kid,” Jefferson said in a video posted to Instagram. “Having doubts my entire career. Not being highly recruited. Not being the first receiver undrafted. This whole journey wasn’t easy for me… To receive the gift of playing football at the highest level, it’s a blessing. It’s an honor.”
Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement that Jefferson “has earned this contract and we are thrilled that he will continue to be a Minnesota Viking for a long time.”
“From the moment I arrived in Minnesota, Justin has consistently proven to be one of the best players in the NFL on and off the field and we are excited to have him as a cornerstone of our team for a long time,” Vikings general manager Kwesi said. Adofo-Mensah. “He is the living embodiment of our culture with his joyful dedication to the process and our goals. We couldn’t be more excited for Justin and his family.”
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Jefferson also thanked his parents, his siblings, his agent and the Vikings’ front office staff, coaches and fans in the Instagram video.
“You all set the tone. You all set the mood. You all set the energy,” Jefferson said in the video. “And I’m definitely excited to set the energy for five more years… This is the beginning, but we’re not done yet. Just wait.”
The day before the 2023 season began, Jefferson rejected a contract offer from the Vikings that would have paid him more than $28 million annually. The three-time Pro Bowler bet on himself, and the bet paid off, with Jefferson’s four-year extension averaging $35 million per season. That average annual value is $1 million more than the previous record held by San Francisco 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa.
Player | Guaranteed Money |
---|---|
Justin Jefferson | 110 million dollars |
AJ Brown | 84 million dollars |
Amon-Ra St. Brown | 77 million dollars |
Jaylen Waddle | 76 million dollars |
— KeynoteUSA statistics and information |
There were several teams this offseason that inquired about Jefferson, according to league sources. But the Vikings let each of them know that they had no intention of trading Jefferson, who is off to a historic four-year start in the NFL.
Adofo-Mensah said at the NFL combine in February that a trade for Jefferson never crossed his mind, even if it would help him trade for a quarterback in the Draft.
“We believe he is the best receiver in the league and should be compensated as such,” Adofo-Mensah said at the time. “We believe he is one of the best non-quarterbacks in the league and we believe he should be compensated as such.”
Since being selected by the Vikings with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 draft, Jefferson has 392 receptions for 5,899 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Jefferson, the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year, has averaged 98.3 receiving yards per game, the most in NFL history for any period of his career, and his average of 6.5 receptions per game is the second-highest in any receiver in his first four seasons.
“Justin is an exceptionally talented player and an incredible person who I am honored to coach and have as a team captain,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said in a statement. “His positive energy and love for the game are shown every day as he works to be the best at his craft. As coaches, we will do our part to help him maximize his ability. I am grateful to the Wilfs, Kwesi, (Executive VP of Vikings football operations), Rob Brzezinski, and our staff for ensuring one of professional sports’ brightest stars continues his career as a Minnesota Viking.”
Jefferson, who turns 25 later this month, will now lead the Vikings in their next generation of offense after they replaced quarterback Kirk Cousins with free agent Sam Darnold and first-round pick JJ McCarthy this season. low.
Jefferson repeatedly endorsed Cousins’ return over the past year, but never said that would be a factor in whether he would re-sign with the Vikings. He has not commented publicly on Cousins’ departure or the decision to acquire Darnold and McCarthy. But McCarthy said Jefferson, known to many on the team as “JJ,” texted him shortly after the draft.
Jefferson set an NFL record for most receiving yards in the first three seasons of a career (4,825) and then eclipsed 1,000 yards in 2023 despite missing seven games (and parts of two others) due to injuries. His 1,074 yards in 2023 were the most ever by an NFL player who had played 10 or fewer games in a season.
Jefferson was the fifth receiver selected in the 2020 draft and a timely replacement for Stefon Diggs, who was traded to the Buffalo Bills a month earlier. Some teams reportedly believed Jefferson would be limited to a slot role, but the Vikings saw him as an all-position receiver when they selected him 22nd overall.
In an internal video that quickly went viral, then-general manager Rick Spielman was seen laughing when the Philadelphia Eagles selected wide receiver Jalen Reagor with the 21st pick, clearing the way for the Vikings to select Jefferson.
KeynoteUSA’s Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.
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