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.
