Justin Jefferson has inked a massive new four-year, $140 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history.
He also becomes the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history, with $110 million of his new contract guaranteed over the next four seasons.
The 24-year-old Jefferson was entering the final year of his rookie deal after declining the offer of a new contract last year that would have paid him $28 million per season. His new contract pays him an average of $35 million per season.
Last month, the wide receiver skipped the start of the Vikings’ return to practice as his impasse with the team continued, but he will now bring back a much better paid player than when he left at the end of last season.
According to ESPN sources, the three-time Pro Bowler had multiple teams inquiring about a trade this offseason, but the Vikings told all suitors they had no intention of letting their star player leave the building.
Vikings star Justin Jefferson has signed a new four-year contract worth $140 million
Jefferson, pictured during the Western Conference NBA Finals, has made history with his new deal
Jefferson made headlines earlier this year when DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that he was facing a paternity lawsuit in New Jersey after being accused of pressuring the child’s mother to have an abortion.
The Vikings star and his ex-girlfriend, Andrea Galea, filed counterclaims against each other in Essex County (New Jersey) Family Court in January. These filings have since been obtained by DailyMail.com.
Galea is a graduate of the University of Miami Law School and previously attended Louisiana State University with Jefferson. The two became romantically involved in 2019 before breaking up and reconnecting in April 2023, according to her paternity suit filed on January 19.
Andrea Galea (pictured) accused Jefferson of pressuring her to have an abortion
Jefferson – who is guaranteed to make $110 million – poses in his car for a recent Instagram photo
It was in April that Galea claimed Jefferson was the father of her daughter Stella, who was born in late December.
In addition to a paternity test, Galea has pushed for financial support and health care coverage from Jefferson, while accusing the former first-round draft pick of pressuring her to abort the child during her pregnancy.
In his own Jan. 26 complaint, Jefferson also pushed for a paternity test while seeking an injunction against Galea to prevent her from sharing information about the child.