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Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson is the next wide receiver in line to sign a massive contract extension. His former college teammate, Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase, hopes Jefferson gets as much money as possible.
“I hope he sets the market for me,” Chase said, via Charlie Clifford. “That's what I'm hoping he does. Other than that, I'm proud of him.” Chase also congratulated Jefferson for his soon-to-be anticipated record deal.
Jefferson is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract and is expected to sign a new contract before next season. The Vikings picked up his fifth-year option which is set to pay him $19.7 million in 2024. That number is sure to boom in his next contract, which is likely to exceed $30 million per year.
Tyreek Hill is the highest-paid per-year wideout in the league right now at $30 million after signing a four-year deal worth $120 million with the Miami Dolphins last March.
Both Jefferson and Chase were stars at LSU, catching passes from future Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Chase joined Burrow in Cincinnati in 2021 and picked up right where the two left off in college. Chase was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, following in the footsteps of Jefferson who won the award in 2020.
Who deserves more money?
Given the way their NFL careers have started, both Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase are more than deserving of the nine-figure contracts they are going to sign. It's hard to separate them as they are arguably the two best wide receivers in the league, but one of them is going to get more money than the other in their new deals.
Chase appears to be the beneficiary of being a year younger than Jefferson, meaning the latter will sign his extension first. The Bengals superstar will no doubt want more money than Jefferson, so the Vikings pass-catcher will likely have a short stint as the league's highest-paid wide receiver.
Statistically speaking, Jefferson is more deserving of that honor. He broke several NFL records throughout his first three seasons, including last season when he became the youngest player to lead the league in both receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809) in the same season. He also has more receiving yards than any other player in NFL history through their first three seasons.
Believe it or not, Chase actually had a better rookie season than Jefferson numbers-wise. Chase burst onto the NFL scene with the Bengals in 2021, recording 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. His 2022 was cut short by five games due to injury and his numbers suffered because of that, but if his 2023 goes as planned, he should have no problem getting his money from the Bengals.
It's incredible to think that both Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson were on the same college roster. Now the two are lighting it up in the NFL with the Bengals and Vikings and have their eyes set on breaking money records as well as receiving records.
