Mike Florio suggests Bengals ‘shouldn’t wait’ on Ja’Marr Chase's extension after Justin Jefferson signs potential $100,000,000 Vikings deal
Justin Jefferson is entering the final year of his contract with yhe Minnesota Vikings ahead of the 2024 NFL season. Like many superstar players in this situation, he is rumored to be seeking a contract extension prior to the start of the new season. Playing out the final year of any deal can be a risky move, so it makes sense that Jefferson would want to lock in the added security.
Most around the NFL believe that whenever the Vikings wide receiver signs a new deal, it is likely to break records and make him the highest-paid player in his position. This has become a trend with players due for contracts in recent years, with the price tags of new deals continually increasing.
Mike Florio recently discussed Jefferson's situation and detailed what it could mean for Ja'Marr Chase with the Cincinnati Bengals. He outlined in a recent article with Pro Football Talk that the Bengals would be wise to offer Chase an extension as soo as Justin Jefferson signs his new contract. He believes that this could help the Bengals save money in the long run.
Florio said:
"If and when the Vikings get a long-term deal done with Justin Jefferson, the Bengals need to be ready to move."
His argument basically explained that if the Bengals were to wait another season before signing Chase to an extension, it's likely to cost them much more money than it would this year. While Jefferson is entering the final year of his current contract, Chase still has two years remaining on his.
Florio detailed that extending him now instead of waiting gives them additional flexibility in a likely mega-contract. He added:
"The moment Jefferson gets his contract, the Bengals shouldn't wait more than a minute to get Chase's deal done."
It's currently unknown exactly how much Jefferson is going to get paid, but Florio predicted that it could potentially exceed $100 million in total value at around $35 million in AAV. If Chase sticks with the current trend, he will likely be asking the Bengals to exceed whatever that number may be.
What it would take to make Justin Jefferson the NFL's highest-paid WR
Amon-Ra St. Brown set a new NFL record for wide receivers when he signed a new deal with the Detoit Lions that included $77 million in total guaranteed money during the 2024 NFL offseason. AJ Brown followed that up by breaking his record when the Philadelphia Eagles gave him $84 million in guaratees, including an all-time high for his position of $32 million in AAV.
While both are elite players, Justin Jefferson is off to the best start to his career of any wide receiver in NFL history. This is likely why Mike Florio predicted somewhere in the range of $100 million in guaranteed money at around $35 million in AAV. This could be achieved with a three-year extension worth $105 million if the Vikings fully guarantee the entire amount of the new deal.