Vikings, Justin Jefferson Agree to Massive Contract Extension, per Report

The All-Pro wideout finally gets paid.

Justin Jefferson / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings have locked down superstar wideout Justin Jefferson for the long term, and paid a heavy price to do so.

On Monday, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported for NFL Network that the Vikings had reached an agreement with Jefferson on a four-year contract extension worth an astounding $140 million with $110 million guaranteed. The deal makes Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Additionally, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the All-Pro receiver receives $88.743 million at signing, the highest for any non-QB in football history.

It is a lucrative deal that Jefferson has certainly earned. The former LSU Tiger hit the ground running his rookie year with a 1,400-yard season and hasn't slowed down. He's been considered the NFL's top wideout for a few years now and every statistic possible supports that conclusion. Even if 2023 was a bit of a down year by his standards.

Last season, Jefferson missed eight games due to injury and had to deal with the Vikings' quarterback carousel put in motion after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles in October. Despite all that, he still recorded 68 catches for 1,074 yards and five touchdowns. If he didn't get hurt Jefferson was setting up an epic follow-up campaign to his dominant 2022 season, in which he led the NFL in catches (128) and yards (1,809).

The Vikings are entering a period of transition at the quarterback position after Cousins left for the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. To replace him, Minnesota drafted J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft and signed Sam Darnold in free agency. No matter who ends up under center in Week 1, they'll need the safety blanket Jefferson provides as a do-everything wideout who is always open.

It's a pretty penny for a player who isn't a quarterback, to be sure. Jefferson is now the highest-paid wide receiver in the league and his $35 million annual salary will eat up quite a bit of the team's cap room. But it's the sort of deal that gets done for a player on a Hall of Fame track, and Jefferson is certainly there. Over his first four NFL season, he's earned three All-Pro nominations, three Pro Bowl nominations, and an Offensive Player of the Year award.

On top of all that, Jefferson is only entering his age-25 season. There's reason to believe he can, somehow, get better.

Jefferson will be in Minnesota for a while yet.