Insider Says Justin Jefferson of the Vikings is eyeing a massive QB-sized contract.
There has never been any doubt about the Minnesota Vikings’ decision to pay Justin Jefferson among the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the league, but how much does he get paid compared to some NFL quarterbacks?
On May 21, Outkick’s Armando Salguero—who currently works as Fox Sports’ senior NFL writer and spent three decades covering the Miami Dolphins for the Miami Herald—reported that Jefferson aspires to become a quarterback superstar in his next contract.
Salguero wrote, “According to one source, Jefferson wants to be paid like some quarterbacks as salaries for some non-quarterback positions rise.” The source claims that at one point during the negotiations [with the Vikings], he intended to average over $40 million annually. It’s not clear if the discussions still revolve around that.
Another source told OutKick that Jefferson also wants to work on a deal that includes fully guaranteed funding of at least $100 million.
According to Over The Cap, thirteen NFL quarterbacks have contracts worth at least $40 million a year.
Justin Jefferson declined a $30 million contract offer from the Vikings: Report
Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings
Justin Jefferson, the Minnesota Vikings’ number 18.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided additional details from the Vikings’ contract negotiations with Jefferson during the previous season when NFL free agency opened in March. Negotiations that lasted until the last day of the 2023 season brought them “unbelievably close” to a deal, according to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
During an appearance on “NFL Live” on March 12, Schefter stated that Jefferson’s camp was not satisfied, declining a contract worth “in excess of $30 million-a-year.”
Since then, wide receivers A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown have revolutionized the market by securing contracts worth more than $30 million annually. With an average contract value of $32 million annually, Brown is currently the highest-paid wide receiver in the league.
Given that Jefferson has established himself as the league’s top wide receiver, that only raises the bar for his contract. Of all NFL players over the last four seasons, Jefferson has the highest average of receiving yards per game (98.7).
Vikings are under pressure from the A.J. Brown contract to make history with Jefferson’s contract.
Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings
Justin Jefferson, the Minnesota Vikings’ number 18.
There are numerous ways for Jefferson to reach quarterback status in his contract, some of which could result in financial savings for the Vikings.
Offering a fully guaranteed contract would be a smart place to start if the Vikings want Jefferson to back down from demanding an average yearly value of $40 million for his contract.
The largest guaranteed amount ever given to a receiver in league history, $84 million, was part of Brown’s three-year, $96 million extension.
Six years ago, Kirk Cousins mediated the first fully guaranteed contract in the history of the league. Being the first wide receiver to get a contract with a full guarantee is something Jefferson wants to accomplish with his deal.
To fully give away that much money to a receiver, though, seems to indicate that Vikings ownership is more hesitant.
In an interview with Vikings broadcaster Paul Allen on KFAN, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk criticized the Vikings for their antiquated policy regarding guarantees made by anyone other than the quarterback position and urged ownership to reevaluate.
The Vikings are among the few teams that won’t provide a complete guarantee for any player other than Kirk Cousins after the first year of his contract. You will eventually run into trouble with Justin Jefferson if you won’t make the same allowance for him, according to Florio.
It’s the structure, not the money. Fans must make ownership answerable. The Wilfs have established these rules. With that deal, they don’t want to guarantee full compensation for any position other than quarterback after the first year. You must allow the exception to apply.
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