Is the Justin Jefferson trade discussion getting real?
Jefferson and the Vikings have been negotiating a new deal since at least last summer. The star receiver is looking to “break the bank” with his new deal. With the potential for a record-breaking new deal, it’s really no surprise talks are prolonged.
But there may be a wrench in the situation. Could Jefferson actually want out of Minnesota?
At the Super Bowl, Jefferson made clear his desire to keep playing with then-Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. After Cousins left for Atlanta in free agency the Vikings QB situation became incredibly unclear.
“If you have the slightest inclination that that man no longer wants to play here. That could, and I would almost say, would have to factor into two weeks from Thursday (NFL draft),” said Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen on his radio show Monday.
“There are no zeroes, there are no 100s. So, it’s not a zero-percenter, it’s not a 100-percenter,” Allen said when it comes to the talks suggesting the Vikings could trade Jefferson.
“But consider this, if the reports are accurate that the Vikings have offered Justin Jefferson a deal that would make him the first- or second-highest paid player in the National Football League and he said no, how do you unpack that?” continued Allen.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported in March that Jefferson turned down a deal last offseason worth “in excess of $30 million per year.”
“I’m being serious here, if you have the slightest inclination that he doesn’t want to play here anymore, you have to trade him. And you have to be forthright and honest with the fanbase ‘Here’s what we offered. They said no. This guy left. This guy said this, nobody heard about it. He didn’t want to be here anymore.’ So, if that’s our belief then… well you got to figure out [what you should do].”
The Vikings have been consistent in their messaging that they have “no plans” of trading Jefferson. If recent history is anything to take into account this may last all the way to the start of the season.
T.J. Hockenson was inked to a new long-term deal a week and a half before the 2023 season began.
There are just over two weeks until the NFL draft. Minnesota holds two first-round picks and has been widely thought of as a team that could move up to select their first-round QB.
With such a massive question to answer, it would be no surprise if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and company have put Jefferson’s extension on the back burner for the time being, while they crisscross the country evaluating quarterback prospects.
