Vikings GM Bluntly Shuts Down Justin Jefferson Trade Suggestion

The Minnesota star is entering the final year of his contract.
Vikings GM Bluntly Shuts Down Justin Jefferson Trade Suggestion
Vikings GM Bluntly Shuts Down Justin Jefferson Trade Suggestion /
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In four years with the Minnesota Vikings, wide receiver Justin Jefferson has checked virtually every box necessary for NFL success.

The Pro Bowl? He’s been there three times—every season but this past season, when injuries cost him seven games.

Rookie of the Year? He won that in 2020. AP Offensive Player of the Year? He won that in 2022.

Even in 2023, his ailments disguised a year in which he averaged 107.4 receiving yards per game—a career high.

For Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the choice of whether to keep Jefferson going forward is easy.

“[Trading him] is not something that has once crossed my mind,” Adofo-Mensah told reporters Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine.

Minnesota picked up Jefferson’s fifth-year option in April, and he will make $19.7 million in 2024. Adofo-Mensah then implied that the Vikings may not be done paying the LSU product.

“We think he’s the best wide receiver in the league, and he should be compensated as such,” Adofo-Mensah said.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who signed a four-year, $120 million extension in 2022, is currently the league’s highest-paid wideout. Time will tell whether Jefferson joins him—in the Twin Cities or elsewhere.


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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .