With high production comes high costs to keep the player, and the time for Jefferson to get the money bag is almost here.
Justin Jefferson
So of course, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would be asked about giving Justin Jefferson a contract extension when he came to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Adofo-Mensah said getting Jefferson signed long-term is one of the biggest priorities the team has for the offseason, according to Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.
“I don’t want to be the Vikings G.M. without that guy on our team,” he said. “It’s a high priority. We gotta make sure that we do it in the order that we can do it in, obviously, given all the other decisions we need to make.”
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
As high of a priority Adofo-Mensah says getting Jefferson signed is, the Vikings have work to do if they want that to happen. As it stands right now, they are over the salary cap, and there are some decisions to make on players, such as fellow wide receiver Adam Thielen, in terms of contract restructuring opitions.
If Minnesota can’t keep Jefferson, whoever can sign him would be lucky. In 2022, he had 128 catches for 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns. Since 2020, Jefferson has improved his catch total by 20 each season (88 in 2020, 108 in 2020).
There’s a lot to be done to support a potential record deal for Jefferson, but if we’re to take the general manager’s word, the Vikings will do everything they can to make it happen.