Jefferson to become highest-paid non-QB in NFL history with $140m deal

Justin Jefferson becomes the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. with ESPN reporting the wide receiver has agreed to a four-year, $140 million contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings. ESPN also reports that $110 million of the contract is guaranteed.

The Vikings confirmed the extension Monday morning.

“Through the first four seasons of his career, Justin has entrenched himself as the best wide receiver and one of the most electric players in the NFL,” Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement. “He is a special talent, a committed teammate and an excellent representative of the Vikings. Justin has earned this contract and we are thrilled that he will remain a Minnesota Viking for a long time to come.

The contract extension is a victory for both parties. Jefferson will get the money he believes he deserves as one of the best receivers in the league, while the Vikings will land a 24-year-old star who should be entering his prime. The deal will also give JJ McCarthy, whom the Vikings drafted this year as a long-term replacement at quarterback for Kirk Cousins, a reliable target.

Jefferson was drafted No. 22 overall by the Vikings in 2020 and was an All-Pro in his first three seasons in the league, leading the NFL in receiving yards in 2022, when he was also named the offensive player of the year in the league. He missed seven games last season due to injury, but still topped the 1,000 receiving yards mark for the fourth time in four years.

“Something that was once a dream is now my reality,” Jefferson said. “There are so many people I can thank here, but you all know who you are who helped me along the way. But we won’t stop here.”

Jefferson turned down a new deal early last season, choosing to bet on his talent breaking through and making him more money. That bet paid off: The contract extension would average $35 million per year, up from the $28 million per year the Vikings offered him last season. Other NFL teams had inquired about trading for Jefferson, but Minnesota was confident they would keep him.

The contract will also be a benchmark for other talented young receivers, such as CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys, Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers and Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals, who are looking to make new deals.