Justin Jefferson Contract Extension a 'High Priority' for Vikings, GM Says

Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doesn't want to see Justin Jefferson in a different uniform anytime soon.

"I don't want to be the Vikings' GM without that guy on our team," he told reporters Tuesday. "So it's a high priority. We've got to make sure we do in the order that we can do it in, obviously, given all of our other decisions we have to make."

Jefferson is due to be a free agent in 2025, though he signaled in January he's open to signing a long-term extension.

The 23-year-old has been one of the NFL's most consistent pass-catchers from the moment he entered the league in 2020. He reached new heights in 2022, leading the NFL in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809) en route to winning Offensive Player of the Year.

In a vacuum, Jefferson is a player that the Vikings should want as a cornerstone of their offense for the long term. The way the receiver market has evolved might lead some to wonder whether Minnesota could balk at what it will take to sign the three-time Pro Bowler to a new deal.

Last offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, where he promptly got a record-setting four-year, $120 million extension. The Tennessee Titans also traded A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles, and he signed a four-year, $100 million deal.

This offseason, Tee Higgins could be on the move, with The MMQB's Albert Breer reporting the Cincinnati Bengals "are going to get inquiries." Higgins is eligible for free agency in 2024, two years before Ja'Marr Chase can hit the open market, so the Bengals could find themselves having to choose one over the other.

Spotrac estimates Jefferson's value at $106.9 million over four years, which is a bit low given his résumé already. His earning power will only climb if he maintains his current form and makes another All-Pro team in 2023.

You have to take Adofo-Mensah's comments at face value because there's nothing to indicate a Jefferson trade is close to happening.

But the Vikings already parted with one decorated receiver (Stefon Diggs)—albeit with a different front office—and replaced him with a younger, cheaper player who was just as good.

If push comes to shove, maybe Minnesota will be prepared to make the same gamble again.