Carmen Vitali
NFC North Reporter
It was by no means a matter of if — it was all the time when.
The Minnesota Vikings made Justin Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback within the NFL on Monday, resetting the broad receiver market and besting San Francisco 49ers defensive finish Nick Bosa with a four-year, $140 million contract that features $110 million assured. It averages out to $35 million per 12 months for the 24-year-old.
Jefferson turns into the eighth broad receiver to obtain a contract with a $23M annual common per 12 months on this offseason alone.
Even amid reported commerce inquiries and gives, Minnesota remained steadfast in its want to retain and reward Jefferson.
“From the second I arrived in Minnesota, Justin has persistently confirmed to be probably the greatest gamers within the NFL on and off the sphere and we’re enthusiastic about having him as a cornerstone of our workforce for a very long time to return,” mentioned common supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in a press release.
Jefferson has now catapulted to the face of the Vikings franchise, one of many solely non-quarterbacks within the league to carry that indefinable title. It is even paying homage to one other broad receiver to put on the purple and gold — Randy Moss. One way or the other, the Vikings have turn out to be synonymous with generational pass-catchers.
If that feels like a tall order for Jefferson to dwell as much as, let me guarantee you it is not. If we’re going by the primary 4 years of Jefferson’s profession, he already has three All-Professional nods, three Professional Bowl picks and led all receivers in yards on the best way to his 2022 Offensive Participant of the 12 months Award. Although Jefferson began simply 9 video games for the Vikings in 2023 resulting from damage, he nonetheless surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and averaged 107.4 yards per sport, another yard than his 2022 common.
It places Jefferson on a trajectory that does not simply rival Moss’ numbers, however surpasses them. Jefferson has amassed 5,899 yards in his first 4 seasons in Minnesota. He achieved it in 57 video games began. Moss’s first 4 years in Minnesota? He performed in 59 video games, which resulted in 5,396 receiving yards and 91.5 yards per sport. Moss had two All-Professionals and three Professional Bowl nods in that span.
Broadly thought-about probably the greatest receivers of all time, Moss completed his 16-year profession with 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns. He averaged 70.1 yards per sport with a catch fee of 56.4 %.
Ought to Jefferson proceed eventually 12 months’s tempo of 107.4 yards per sport, he’ll attain Moss’ receiving yards numbers in his ninth season, only one extra 12 months past his present contract.
That is bonkers.
Now, damage and varied components make {that a} convoluted projection, after all, however there are superior metrics that recommend Jefferson has been extra productive than he was imagined to be. Since coming into the NFL in 2020, Jefferson has essentially the most of any participant with at the least 250 targets of 1,270 receiving yards over expectation.
Jefferson additionally has the second-most receiving yards in that span behind solely Miami’s Tyreek Hill. And whereas Jefferson ranks ninth amongst certified receivers in yards after the catch in that span, he ranks seventh in yards after the catch over expectation, per Subsequent Gen Stats.
Such indicators make it simpler to say that what we are able to depend on is Jefferson staying extremely productive for years to return. That is very true given his younger age and the way the league in its present iteration thrives off prolific passing assaults.
The Vikings are Jefferson’s workforce now, regardless of who the quarterback finally ends up being.
Vikings signal Justin Jefferson to report 4-year extension
As such, Jefferson can play an enormous position in serving to Minnesota’s first-round rookie quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, develop. Jefferson can actively make issues simpler on a younger signal-caller not solely by how dependable he’s along with his profession 68.1 % catch fee, however with how simple of a goal he’s. Jefferson is not overly huge. He stands 6-foot-1 and weighs below 200 kilos. However since coming into the league, he’s tied for the sixth-most “simple targets,” based on the NFL’s Subsequent Gen Stats.
This newest paycheck and face of the franchise moniker nonetheless would not put Jefferson below any obligation to be answerable for Minnesota’s total success. The majority of the offensive growth nonetheless lies with head coach Kevin O’Connell, after all. However the Vikings knew the workforce could be worse off with out their star hideout, and given his physique of labor, knew he deserved a market-setting deal. Additionally they know the type of message it sends to younger draft picks like McCarthy and even broad receiver Jordan Addison, who the workforce took within the first spherical final 12 months. Do proper by us and we’ll do proper by you.
And the Vikings definitely did proper by Jefferson. It was all the time a matter of when, not if.
Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports activities. Carmen had earlier stops with The Draft Community and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, together with 2020, which added the title of Tremendous Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You’ll be able to comply with Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.
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