Justin Jefferson is set to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, with ESPN reporting the wide receiver has agreed a four-year, $140m contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings. ESPN also reports $110m of the contract is guaranteed.
The Vikings confirmed the extension on Monday morning.
“Over the first four seasons of his career, Justin entrenched himself as the best wide receiver and one of the most electric players in the NFL,” Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement. “He is a special talent, a committed teammate and an excellent representative of the Vikings. Justin has earned this contract, and we are thrilled he will remain a Minnesota Viking for a very long time.”
The contract extension is a win for both parties. Jefferson will get the money he believes he deserves as one of the best receivers in the league, while the Vikings will tie down a 24-year-old star entering what should be his prime years. The deal will also give JJ McCarthy, who the Vikings drafted this year as a long-term replacement at quarterback for Kirk Cousins, a reliable target.
Jefferson was drafted No 22 overall by the Vikings in 2020 and was an All-Pro in his first three seasons in the league, and led the NFL in receiving yards in 2022, when he was also named the league’s offensive player of the year. He missed seven games due to injury last season, but still topped 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth time in four years.
Something that once was a dream is now my reality. There are so many people that I can sit here and thank but you all know who you are that helped me along the way. But we ain’t stopping here…. There’s more to be done… SKOL!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/q2Q6YUPAWH
— JJETS✈️ (@JJettas2) June 3, 2024
“Something that once was a dream is now my reality,” said Jefferson. “There are so many people that I can sit here and thank but you all know who you are that helped me along the way. But we ain’t stopping here.”
Jefferson turned down a new deal at the start of last season, choosing to bet on his talent to shine through and net him more money. That bet has paid off: the contract extension would average $35m a year, compared to the $28m a year the Vikings offered him last season. Other NFL teams had made inquiries about a trade for Jefferson but Minnesota were adamant they would keep him.
The contract will also set a benchmark as other talented young receivers such as the Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, the San Francisco 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk and the Cincinnati Bengals’ Tee Higgins look to agree new deals.
