NFL Rumors: League insider sets timeline on Justin Jefferson's Vikings contract extension, WR expected to surpass $30,000,000 a year
Justin Jefferson's impending new deal hasn't quite gotten the same attention as CeeDee Lamb, but that could change in the coming weeks. According to NFL insider Albert Breer via The Purple Persuasion on X, the deal could happen after the 2024 NFL draft. The size of the deal, once completed, could be enormous.
According to Breer, the Vikings are not looking to trade their way out of paying Jefferson. Instead, they're looking to spend $30 million per year on the wide receiver.
Of course, league-leading deals rarely come with a short length and Breer claimed that pattern will hold for Jefferson. However, it doesn't appear to all be sunshine and daises for the team and the receiver as the insider warned that "it's going to be a challenge to get a deal done."
Jefferson is currently in the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, so at the end of 2024, he will be a free agent. That said, while the franchise tag likely would be on the table for a player of Jefferson's caliber, any delay in signing the wide receiver to a new deal risks rubbing him the wrong way.
If no deal is made in 2024, the wide receiver will make $19.7 million on the tag.
Justin Jefferson's Vikings brace for franchise-altering month
The Vikings wrapped up the Kirk Cousins era this offseason, changing the team's trajectory. However, the changes will hit once again in about two weeks as the league welcomes the next class of quarterbacks. With Cousins gone, most believe the Vikings are effectively forced to take a swing at one of the quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL draft.
If they skip quarterback this year, they will be forced to rely on Sam Darnold, the former San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback. Darnold has gone 21-35 in his career, with his lone winning record coming in 2019. He's thrown for 63 touchdowns and 56 interceptions, completing 59.7% of his throws.
Put simply, few expect him to be the long-term solution to pair with Justin Jefferson. As such, most Vikings fans have placed pressure on the team to take a shot at a rookie quarterback. Will the Vikings oblige?