Reports recently emerged that the Vikings might consider shopping star wide receiver Justin Jefferson as he prepares to head into the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, causing fans of 31 NFL teams to dream of scenarios in which the All-Pro receiver would suit up for their clubs.
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah apparently isn’t one for ridiculous, hypothetical trades, quickly shooting down the idea of J. Jettas wearing anything but Vikings purple next fall.
Below, you can see what Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell had to say about Jefferson’s contract situation heading into a make-or-break offseason in Minnesota.
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Will the Vikings trade Justin Jefferson?
Adofo-Mensah told reporters on Tuesday at the 2024 NFL Combine that trading Jefferson “is not something that’s once crossed my mind.”
“You’ve got a ‘blue [chip]’ player, a ‘blue’ person, you try to keep as many of those as you can,” Adofo-Mensah said.
Jefferson became extension-eligible last summer before his fourth season, but no deal came to fruition. Those types of extensions are rare, however, as non-quarterbacks with a fifth-year option are not often signed to new deals with two years still left to play.
The star wide receiver has set countless records over his first four seasons in the NFL and has built a solid case to be considered the league’s No. 1 wide receiver. Heading into his age-25 season, it’s only a matter of time until he has the record-setting contract that pays him like the sport’s best wideout.
Adofo-Mensah promised Jefferson’s camp he would not publicly discuss contract negotiations, but he said that there’s “a lot of stuff that I hear that’s completely false.” He noted he wouldn’t confirm or deny what he had heard, but he did make clear where Minnesota stands in terms of Jefferson’s worth.
“We’ve said it, and we’ll continue to say it – we think he’s the best wide receiver in the league and should be compensated as such,” Adofo-Mensah said. “We think he’s one of the best non-quarterbacks in the league. I think he should be compensated as such. So, we’ll continue to have those dialogues, those conversations.”
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It was reported by the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Sunday that “steam continues that the Vikings could make Justin Jefferson available for trade,” which sparked speculation that the star could be on the move this offseason. Minnesota still does not have a franchise quarterback under contract and is not in a position to land one of the clear top prospects in the 2024 class without making a trade.
However, that doesn’t mean the Vikings will be looking to part ways with their best player. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell noted on Tuesday that the intention is “stronger than ever” to sign Jefferson to an extension.
“I can tell you we have no intent to trade Justin Jefferson,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We have had zero discussions, dialogue about that either internally, externally, on this planet or another planet. I feel very strongly that Justin is the best in his position in football. Any time you’re trying to reset the receiver market — we know who he is, we know what Justin’s earned through his first four years in this league — you know how hard it is. It was never gonna be something that would just be easy to get done, but the intent was there.”
Justin Jefferson contract
Jefferson will be playing on his fifth-year option in 2024, which means he is lined up to be an unrestricted free agent following the campaign.
On that fifth-year option, Jefferson will receive $ 19.743 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac.
Highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL
The number to beat in terms of total value in a contract for a wide receiver is $ 140 million, which Davante Adams earned in a five-year extension when he was traded to the Raiders. The total guaranteed record is held by Cooper Kupp, who earned $ 75 million in guaranteed money in his three-year extension with the Rams. Tyreek Hill holds the record for the largest average annual value at $ 30 million per year on his four-year contract.
Jefferson will all but certainly shatter all three records when he signs his extension. He is several years younger than Adams, Hill, or Kupp were at the time they signed their extensions, and he’s built up a historic resume through the first four years of his career.
Here’s a look at the most valuable WR contracts in NFL history, per Spotrac.
Total value
| Player | Team | Age | Years signed | Years | Value |
| Davante Adams | Raiders | 29 | 2022-26 | 5 | $ 140 million |
| Tyreek Hill | Dolphins | 28 | 2022-26 | 4 | $ 120 million |
| Calvin Johnson | Lions | 26 | 2012-19 | 7 | $ 113.5 million |
| Larry Fitzgerald | Cardinals | 27 | 2011-18 | 7 | $ 113 million |
| A.J. Brown | Eagles | 24 | 2022-26 | 4 | $ 100 million |
Average annual value
| Player | Team | Age | Years signed | Years | AAV |
| Tyreek Hill | Dolphins | 28 | 2022-26 | 4 | $ 30 million |
| Davante Adams | Raiders | 29 | 2022-26 | 5 | $ 28 million |
| DeAndre Hopkins | Cardinals | 28 | 2020-24 | 2 | $ 27.3 million |
| Cooper Kupp | Rams | 28 | 2022-26 | 3 | $ 26.7 million |
| A.J. Brown | Eagles | 24 | 2022-26 | 4 | $ 25 million |
Total guarantees
| Player | Team | Age | Years signed | Years | Guaranteed |
| Cooper Kupp | Rams | 28 | 2022-26 | 3 | $ 75 million |
| Tyreek Hill | Dolphins | 28 | 2022-26 | 4 | $ 72.2 million |
| Stefon Diggs | Bills | 28 | 2022-27 | 4 | $ 70 million |
| Davante Adams | Raiders | 29 | 2022-26 | 5 | $ 65.7 million |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | Giants | 25 | 2018-23 | 5 | $ 65 million |
