The Minnesota Vikings have seen their offense be subjected to quite a bit of turnover this offseason. Quarterback Kirk Cousins left to sign with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, and they also saw complementary pieces such as Alexander Mattison and K.J. Osborn depart as well. One guy they don't want to leave is Justin Jefferson, but they are going to need to sort out his contract issues in order to ensure that doesn't happen.
Jefferson has immediately cemented himself as arguably the top wide receiver in the league through his first four seasons in the league, and he is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Unsurprisingly, Jefferson believes it's time for him to earn a substantial payday, which is likely a big reason why he has decided to not show up for Minnesota's voluntary workouts on Monday.
#Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said WR Justin Jefferson did not report today to Day 1 of voluntary workouts.
Reminder: It's voluntary. But Jefferson is waiting to get his 💰💰💰 pic.twitter.com/8QQYjlOW2d
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 15, 2024
Vikings hoping to extend Justin Jefferson as soon as possible
Jefferson entered the league in 2020 and was pretty much an immediate superstar. He's racked up over 1000 receiving yards in each of his first four seasons, even though he only played in ten games this past season due to a hamstring injury. Jefferson is one of the most dangerous offensive playmakers in the game, and he's only going to be 25 years old by the time the upcoming season gets underway.
Jefferson is set to earn $19.743 in 2024 on the fifth year of his rookie deal either way, but a new extension for him is going to soar past that figure. Chances are this deal will reset the wide receiver market, and with other big names like CeeDee Lamb (who also isn't participating in the Dallas Cowboys voluntary workouts) and Ja'Marr Chase needing extensions, the Vikings will have an incentive to get Jefferson signed before these guys land their own massive deals.
While the Vikings obviously want to get Jefferson signed, they have bigger fish to fry first in the 2024 NFL Draft. After losing Cousins in free agency, Minnesota needs to find their new quarterback to take over, and the expectation is that they will do that in the draft. Extending Jefferson is important, but he needs someone who is capable of getting him the ball under center too.
Regardless, Jefferson has made it clear that a potential holdout could be on the way if the Vikings don't get this contract situation sorted out. Granted, these workouts are voluntary, but where there's smoke, there's fire accompanying it most of the time. Neither side likely wants a holdout, but this is the first move indicating that one could be on the way, and it will be interesting to see whether this move from Jefferson ends up convincing both sides to head back to the negotiating table.
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