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The Minnesota Vikings have undergone quite the facelift on offense. QB Kirk Cousins left for Atlanta during free agency and was replaced by first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy. Former Packers running back Aaron Jones is set to be the lead back in Minnesota as well. Vikings fans are thrilled that the facelift did not include parting ways with superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
The Vikings inked Jefferson to a four-year, $140 million contract extension with $110 million guaranteed. Vikings brass were adamant that they wanted to get a deal done, but that didn't stop a litany of trade rumors from making the rounds. Head coach Kevin O'Connell recently addressed those trade rumors.
“There's a certain way that we kind of do business,” O'Connell said via ESPN. “When you hear certain things — a lot of things come and go — and you kind of chalk it up to what they are. But when there's things that are so far outside the realm of what's actually happening and taking place, you find yourself wanting to come out and say, which I will unequivocally: We never, ever, one time, discussed it internally among the leadership.”
This is a strong statement from O'Connell. It is rare that NFL coaches are this clear about their intentions, which makes it seem all the more genuine.
“Some people have sources far and wide, but among the leadership, among the decision-makers, the people that are directly involved in the situation, there really was not one time that was ever discussed, game-planned [or] contingency planned. And I think that's really important, because it's not just about the result today, it's about the process of which we're pretty proud of.”
Justin Jefferson will be a Vikings for the long haul.
Recapping the Justin Jefferson trade rumors
Trade rumors swirled around Justin Jefferson leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft and continued through the month of May.
There were reportedly multiple teams interested in acquiring Jefferson. The San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, and Indianapolis Colts all tried their hand at striking a deal for Jefferson, Adam Schefter said on his podcast on Tuesday.
“Every team that called the Vikings before the draft was told ‘we're not trading him,'” Schefter said. “The conversations went nowhere with anybody.”
Shortly after announcing the deal on Monday, Schefter hinted at teams asking Minnesota about the three-time All-Pro.
“There were multiple teams this off-season that inquired about trading for Justin Jefferson, per league sources,” Schefter said. “The Vikings let each one of them know, in no uncertain terms, that they had zero intention of trading Jefferson and the conversations ended right then and there.”
However, the Vikings were never trading Jefferson. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah released his own statement about the star wide receiver after he signed his extension.
“From the moment I arrived in Minnesota, Justin has consistently proven to be one of the best players in the NFL on and off the field and we are excited about having him as a cornerstone of our team for a long time to come,” Adofo-Mensah said in a statement, per Craig Peters of Vikings.com. “He is the living embodiment of our culture with his joyful dedication to process and our goals. We couldn't be more excited for Justin and his family.”
In retrospect, it is easy to see how all of these reports were true. The presence of rumors surrounding Justin Jefferson does not mean that Vikings brass considered a trade, but it does mean that other teams made the call.
