Early on Monday, news broke that the Vikings and Justin Jefferson had agreed to a massive deal that pays him more than $30 million per season. The best non-quarterback in the NFL, Justin Jefferson just got paid, and the wide receiver market is again now reset. It's a well-deserved payday for Jefferson, who is on a Hall of Fame pace through four seasons in the NFL.
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— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 3, 2024
The #Vikings and All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson have a new deal to reset the WR market and make him the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, sources tell me & @TomPelissero.
It’s a mammoth, 4-year extension worth $140M — $35M per year — with $110M guaranteed. 💰 💰 💰 😱 pic.twitter.com/g8Tk8DbLmj
The deal is almost incomprehensible, but Jefferson is now locked into Minnesota for the long-term and could surely cash in again a few years down the line. Through four seasons, he's got three Pro Bowls, one All-Pro, 392 receptions, 5,899 yards, and 30 touchdowns. Heck, he's got the entire career of a strong WR2 in just four years in the NFL.
He played in just 10 games in 2023 due to injury but was still able to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark. In fact, if he had played all 17 games in 2023, he would have been on pace for 116 receptions, 1,826 yards, and nine touchdowns. He's set to enter his age-25 season and is right in the middle of his prime.
The Vikings may have paid a ton of money for one wide receiver, but this is where the market was going. $35 million per season seemed to always be the number in my opinion, and now we can sit back and wait to see who the first $40 million per year non-quarterback is. For Jefferson, he gets a huge payday and might have not cared so much about how the QB will be given how much he just signed for.
With Justin Jefferson now locked in for $35 million per season, other wide receivers like Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins, and Ja'Marr Chase can use that deal as a framework for what they could demand from their teams.