Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings Agree to Record-Breaking Contract

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings Agree to Record-Breaking Contract
Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings scores a touchdown during the first quarter in the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sept. 11, 2022. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Ross Kelly
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On the eve of the Minnesota Vikings holding mandatory minicamp, the franchise has signed star receiver Justin Jefferson to a record-breaking contract extension. The team announced on Monday that Jefferson signed a four-year extension through the 2028 season, though the Vikings did not disclose the financial details of the extension. They did disclose, however, that the contract sets a record among non-quarterbacks, meaning it surpasses the five-year, $170 million extension that San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa signed last season.

WME Sports, the agency that represented Jefferson in negotiations, confirmed the contract is a four-year deal worth $140 million. On a per-year basis, that amounts to $35 million per season, which just edges out Bosa’s deal of $34 million per season. Jefferson also signed for $110 million guaranteed, shattering the previous record by a receiver of $84 million in a deal signed by the Philadelphia Eagles’ A.J. Brown earlier this offseason.
In a press statement released by the team, Jefferson praised all of those who helped him get into this position in which he, earlier in a social media video, called the contract “the deal I have been waiting for since I was a little kid.”
“I would not be in this position if not for my family and their support. I’m so thankful for them instilling a foundational gratitude and competitive fire within me,” Jefferson said in a statement. “I‘d like to thank the Wilf family, Kevin O’Connell, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, and the entire Vikings organization for believing in me and trusting me to help lead this team.

The timing is ideal for Minnesota as it will hold the first of three mandatory minicamp sessions on Tuesday. Jefferson was not in attendance for the start of the team’s voluntary Official Team Activities (OTAs) which began in late May, amid the negotiations for a new deal. The Vikings’ three mandatory sessions conclude on Thursday, before the team has three off days and then resumes OTAs from Monday, June 10 through Thursday, June 13.

Jefferson’s resume through four NFL seasons certainly warrants a deal of this magnitude as he’s accomplished what no other NFL player has accomplished at this point in his career. His 5,899 receiving yards through his first four seasons are the most in league history and 387 more than runner-up Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints, despite Thomas playing in three more games. Jefferson also ranks fourth in receptions (392) through the first four seasons, while his 98.3 receiving yards per game over his career is the highest in NFL history and 12.2 yards clear of the player with the second-most in Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (86.1).

Last season, Jefferson dealt with a hamstring injury and was limited to 10 games. But he still accumulated 1,074 receiving yards, which are the most-ever by a player who played 10 or fewer games in a season. The prior season, Jefferson won the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year award and was a First Team All-Pro as he led the league in both receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809).

The Vikings, who were unable to come to terms with longtime quarterback Kirk Cousins, paving the way for him to sign with the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason, celebrated being able to lock up Jefferson in a statement.

“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.”

With Cousins since departed, as well as the team’s leading rusher in 2023 in running back Alexander Mattison signing elsewhere, Jefferson may be relied on even more in the 2024 season. That’s especially since the team used its first-round draft pick on quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the University of Michigan, with Jefferson undoubtedly expected to help lessen the learning curve for the rookie. Nearly all of Jefferson’s production to this point had been via Cousins’s right arm, as 28 of his 30 career receiving touchdowns were thrown by Cousins.

While the $35 million average salary makes Jefferson head and shoulders above all other receivers, and just clear of Bosa, he’s still far behind what several quarterbacks make. Fifteen quarterbacks have an average annual salary higher than Jefferson’s, with his college teammate, Joe Burrow, holding the honor of being the league’s highest-paid player with a deal that pays him $55 million per season.
Ross Kelly
Ross Kelly
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Ross Kelly is a sports journalist who has been published by ESPN, CBS and USA Today. He has also done statistical research for Stats Inc. and Synergy Sports Technology. A graduate of LSU, Ross resides in Houston.