Vikings Star Justin Jefferson is Eligible For a Contract Extension This Offseason

Jefferson says he isn't focused on his contract situation at the moment.

Vikings superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson is three years into his NFL career, which means he's now eligible to sign a contract extension this offseason.

One would imagine that'll be a top priority for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who will speak to reporters later this week. The Vikings will want to keep Jefferson in Minnesota for a long time, and the price figures to only go up the longer they wait to work out a new contract. But with the sting of Sunday's playoff loss to the Giants still fresh, Jefferson said on Monday that he isn't concerned about the business aspect of things at the moment.

"It's really not on my mind," Jefferson said. "It comes with the success, it comes with the job. I'm just here to do whatever I need to do to make my team win and to put us in the best situations to get the W. And we came short of that. That's all I'm really worried about at this moment, that we lost, that we are not able to compete further than yesterday. That's really what I'm worried about. The money part and all of that other stuff can come at another time."

Jefferson continued to ascend in his third season. After posting 1,400 yards in his rookie season and 1,616 last year, he led the NFL with 1,809 yards this season, the sixth-highest total ever. He's also added 20 to his receptions total in each of the last two years, leading the league this year with 128. Jefferson made a third consecutive Pro Bowl, added a first team All-Pro nod to his two second team selections, and is the favorite to be named the NFL's offensive player of the year.

Still just 23 years old, he's in position to be one of the NFL's best receivers for many seasons to come.

This is such a ridiculous, unparalleled start to a career.

There have been only 14 1400-yard seasons since 2020. Justin Jefferson has three of them. There have been four 1600-yard seasons in that span. He has two of them. There have been six 1800-yard seasons EVER. pic.twitter.com/bz29Q35VK5

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) January 9, 2023

The wide receiver market has exploded in recent years. Last offseason, the Dolphins signed Tyreek Hill to a four-year, $120 million deal, the Raiders gave Davante Adams a five-year, $140 million contract, and the Eagles signed A.J. Brown to a four-year, $100 million deal. All of those players got their contract extensions after being traded.

Jefferson is likely going to get a bigger deal than any of those. Not only has he out-produced those players, he's also younger than them. Five years, $150 million feels like the baseline for a potential deal.

"That's not my decision," Jefferson said. "It is what it is. They pay me whatever they pay me. They don't even really have to give me an extension this year. It's not really something that I'm really worried about. I want to win a Super Bowl. That's the thing that I'm most focused on. The money comes with the job."

Technically, the Vikings can have Jefferson under contract for two more seasons on his current deal. He has one year left as a ridiculous surplus value player on his rookie contract, and the Vikings will undoubtedly exercise his fifth-year option for the 2024 season, which will pay him just shy of $20 million because he's made multiple Pro Bowls.

But again, it may be the case that the sooner a new deal is worked out, the better, from the Vikings' perspective. Keeping the face of the franchise and one of the league's biggest stars in Minnesota, you'd think, will be at the very top of the to-do list.

It's a two-way street, of course. Jefferson has to want to be with the Vikings for a long time. The good news is there's nothing that indicates he wants to be elsewhere. He's been incredibly successful catching passes from Kirk Cousins and has talked all season about how much loves the culture Kevin O'Connell has built in year one.

"I will be wherever I'm wanted," Jefferson said. "If they want me here, I'm here. That's not something that I can really control."

Let the negotiations begin.

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