Justin Jefferson will remain with the Vikings on a record contract.
The star wide receiver agreed to a four-year, $140 million contract extension with $110 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid receiver and highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, according to multiple reports.
The 24-year-old Jefferson was in the final year of his rookie contract and had been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason.
The Vikings announced the deal but did not confirm financial details.
“What was once a dream is now a reality,” Jefferson wrote. X Post Attached is a video of him thanking his family and the Vikings, writing, “There are so many people I want to sit here and thank, but we all know who has helped me along the way. But I can’t stop here….There’s so much more to do…SKOL!!!!!!!”
The three-time Pro Bowl selection rushed for 1,074 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games last season, giving him a total of 5,899 yards and 30 touchdowns over four seasons.
Jefferson becomes the latest receiver to receive a lucrative contract extension this offseason, joining A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and Nico Collins.
With the Vikings entering the offseason with some quarterback uncertainty as Kirk Cousins recovers from a torn Achilles and becomes a free agent, speculation grew about whether Jefferson, the No. 22 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University, would transfer.
The team officially said it was not considering a trade.
“That’s never crossed my mind,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said at the NFL Combine in February. “When you get a quality player, a quality talent, you try to keep as many of them as you can.”
Adofo-Mensah added that the two sides “came incredibly close” on a contract extension last year and said Jefferson “should be compensated” because he is the best wide receiver in the league and one of the best players outside of quarterbacks.
The Pioneer Press recently reported that there were “rumors” that the Vikings would move up to No. 5 in the 2024 NFL Draft to select fellow LSU alum Malik Neighbors and then trade Jefferson. The Giants ultimately selected Neighbors with the No. 6 pick.
After Cousins signed with the Falcons in free agency, the Vikings moved up one spot to No. 10 in a trade with the Jets and selected Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
And now the rookie playmaker knows he’ll have one of the best weapons in football at his disposal for years to come.
