This offseason, the Minnesota Vikings saw significant roster changes. Two of their stars, Kirk Cousins to Atlanta and Danielle Hunter to the Texans, left the team in free agency. They also made some significant additions of their own. They added Aaron Jones from the rival Packers and Jonathan Greenard to lead a revamped defensive line. In the Draft, Minnesota moved up to take QB JJ McCarthy at No. 10 overall. Even though the roster saw significant changes, the Vikings’ primary goal had to be signing All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson to a new contract. Signing JJ would be smart so that they could give McCarthy, their prospective franchise quarterback, a genuine top target.
The market was reset a couple of times as Jefferson and the Vikings took their time in negotiating a contract while other elite receivers received big salaries throughout the league. After much negotiation, the agreement was ultimately completed on Monday. Adam Schefter revealed the terms of the four-year, $140 million contract, which includes a $110 million guarantee. This makes Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Jefferson has been one of the NFL’s best receivers since being selected in the first round out of LSU and moving to Minnesota. Despite playing just 10 games due to injuries last year, he managed to surpass the 1,000-yard mark, something he has never done before in a season. With 5,899 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns in his first four years in the NFL, Jefferson has been recognized for three All-Pro selections (one on the first team) and won the 2022 AP Offensive Player of the Year award.
His new pay surpasses the large contract the San Francisco 49ers awarded defensive end Nick Bosa the previous season. Furthermore, it is higher than other recent wide receiver agreements, such as those inked by Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown earlier this summer. Bosa’s annual salary is almost $34 million, but Jefferson has surpassed him by more than a million dollars. He is now committed to the Vikings for the long haul, and in order to maintain his high caliber of play, he will aim to develop a rapport with the team’s new quarterback.
