Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson during a game against the Detroit Lions, in Detroit, Mich., on Jan. 7.Duane Burleson/The Associated Press
The Minnesota Vikings and wide receiver Justin Jefferson agreed Monday to a four-year extension, the richest contract in NFL history for a non-quarterback.
Jefferson will get $110-million guaranteed in the deal that’s worth as much as $140-million, with more than $88-million due at signing.
“We ain’t stopping here,” Jefferson posted on Instagram along with a video of highlights and thank-you’s in honour of the contract. “There’s more to be done.”
Jefferson, who has the most receiving yards in league history through a player’s first four seasons, had entered the final year of his rookie deal. The two sides came “unbelievably close” to an extension last summer, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said earlier this spring.
Jefferson missed seven games last season with a hamstring injury and still reached 1,074 receiving yards. The 2022 AP NFL Offensive Player of the year was the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 draft out of LSU.
“Justin has consistently proven to be one of the best players in the NFL on and off the field and we are excited about having him as a cornerstone of our team for a long time to come,” Adofo-Mensah said in a statement distributed by the Vikings. “He is the living embodiment of our culture with his joyful dedication to process and our goals.”
Jefferson’s annual average of $35-million per year on the new deal passed San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa ($34-million), whose contract extension before last season was negotiated by the same agency, William Morris Endeavor, that represents Jefferson.
The pass-catcher market has been as hot as ever lately. Jefferson became the eighth wide receiver to get a new deal this offseason with an annual average value of at least $23-million, following A.J. Brown (Philadelphia), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit), Jaylen Waddle (Miami), DeVonta Smith (Philadelphia), Nico Collins (Houston), Michael Pittman Jr. (Indianapolis) and Calvin Ridley (Tennessee).
There are 15 quarterbacks, according to salary data compiled by the Over The Cap website, with higher average annual values.
The timing of the extension for the Vikings couldn’t be better – the day before their mandatory minicamp and slightly less than two months before the beginning of training camp.
With the departure of quarterback Kirk Cousins to Atlanta via free agency and the arrival of first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings can ensure the national champion from Michigan will be well-stocked with pass catchers as he develops, with wide receiver Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson in place as prolific complements to Jefferson.
McCarthy will be on a rookie contract for the next four or five seasons, making it much easier for the Vikings to keep premium players around him at other positions as they try to compete in an NFC North that’s suddenly loaded with young talent and promising futures.