A rumor has been circulating that the Minnesota Vikings tried to trade up for LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers in the NFL Draft last month, which would have resulted in them trading superstar wide out Justin Jefferson in the process.
But apparently, the rumor has no legs.
Many wondered if the trade speculation would end up poisoning contract negotiations between Jefferson and the Vikings, but Minnesota has almost surely already told Jefferson that the report was not true.
Considering that the Vikings have maintained all along that they want to extend Jefferson and have zero plans of trading him, it never made much sense to begin with.
Justin Jefferson Is Entering The Final Year Of His Deal
The Vikings don’t have much time left to reach a long-term agreement with Jefferson.
Jefferson is preparing to enter the final year of his contract, and with training camp just around the corner, a holdout seems possible if the two sides are unable to strike a pact.
The 25-year-old is slated to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history and is expected to land in the neighborhood of $35 million annually. Right now, Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown is the most expensive receiver in football, as he just inked a three-year, $96 million extension.
Jefferson’s deal will certainly exceed that.
Minnesota may want to hurry, though, as the Dallas Cowboys also seem likely to extend CeeDee Lamb this offseason. Lamb will almost certainly sign a deal larger than that of Brown’s, which would further increase Jefferson’s price tag.
Plus, the Vikings should probably move at a brisker pace for the simple fact that they shouldn’t want to alienate Jefferson with free agency on tap.
It was already enough that Minnesota didn’t extend Jefferson when he became eligible for a new deal last year and then watched as he injured his hamstring.
That couldn’t have sat well with Jefferson, and now, the Vikings’ backs are against the wall.
Jefferson is arguably the best receiver in the sport and he knows it. That’s why he holds all of the leverage here.
The LSU product posted historic numbers over his first several seasons and led the NFL in both receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809) in 2022.
In 10 games this past year, he still managed to catch 68 passes for 1,074 yards and five touchdowns.
We’ll see if the Vikings are able to get something done with Justin Jefferson in the coming months. If not, it will set up a very interesting dynamic in Minnesota for 2024.
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