Before Sunday’s season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that wide receiver Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings is not likely to sign a contract extension.
Both parties put up a lot of effort to reach an agreement, but sources informed Schefter that the transaction will now be discussed again after the season. The All-Pro expressed interest in a new contract on Thursday but expressed doubt that it would be signed by Sunday.
Jefferson said
“Of course, I would want a contract to be done,” . “But at the end of the day, it is all up to them and what the ownership wants to do with that.” “I’m in a different situation,” “I’ve done something that no one has ever done in the history of the game. So my situation is a little bit different than everyone else’s. Of course, I’m going into my fourth year, trying to talk about contract two years early. There’s so many different parts that go in towards it. That’s why I leave it up to my agent and just keep my mindset on the field.”
Jefferson’s journey till now in NFL
The No. 22 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, Jefferson was primarily chosen to fill the receiver Stefon Diggs’ position after the Vikings traded him to the Buffalo Bills. In his third NFL game, Jefferson moved up to the starting lineup and caught seven passes for 175 yards and a score against the Titans.
He finished the season with 1,400 receiving yards on 88 receptions. In 2021 and 2022, he raised that number of yards to 1,616 and 1,809, respectively. Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions set the NFL mark of 1,964 receiving yards in a season in 2012.
The 24-year-old Jefferson set an NFL record for the most receiving yards (4,825) in his first three seasons by leading the league in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,288). He was named the league’s second-best player this summer by ESPN and the NFL Network, and he received the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year honour.
Beginning in the summer of 2022 when he claimed he wasn’t “too fond of money” and was thus mostly unconcerned about his financial future, Jefferson adopted a noticeably indifferent stance during the negotiations. Later, when he said, “The money stuff, that comes with the job,” he seemed to be putting the onus on the Vikings.
