Justin Jefferson
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Justin Jefferson still loves his contract.
Earlier this offseason, the Seattle Seahawks signed their star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a mega-extension. Thefour-year, $168.6 million deal made him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history, prompting worries from fans that Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson may soon grow dissatisfied with his own deal.
Jefferson signed a four-year, $140 million extension with the Vikings in 2024, which was the biggest non-quarterback deal at the time. But now just two years later, his contract seemingly pales in comparison to Smith-Njigba’s huge contract.
However, former Vikings general manager Jeff Diamond, who held the position from 1991-1998, pointed out that the differences in the contracts may not quite be what they seem in hislatest article on Vikings Territory
“When Jefferson signed his extension, he had one year left on his rookie contract, with a fifth-year option worth approximately $20 million. Therefore, his total compensation over the five years from 2024 to 2028 is $160 million, which equates to $32 million per year,” Diamond wrote.
“Whereas Jefferson had to wait until after his fourth season to get his extension, Smith-Njigba’s new deal was negotiated after his third season. He has two years left on his rookie deal, worth a total of $26.6 million, bringing his total compensation to $195.2 million over six years (2026-2031). That is an average of $32.53 million.”
Justin Jefferson’s Contract May Actually Be Close to Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Deal
It appears that, in reality, Smith-Ngiba is only making a mere $530,000 more than Jefferson over the next three years when taking into account his current rookie contract.
That’s not such a steep difference that initially prompted fans to worry if Jefferson may ask for a new deal–or even worse–holdout until he got one. He’ll really be making very similar money to Smith-Njigba over the remainder of his deal. So, at least for now, fans can relax knowing that there’s no real reason that Jefferson would feel dissatisfied with his contract.
Of course, once Smith Njigba’s new money kicks in, things will be much different. But by then, Jefferson will likely also have a new deal of his own that likely exceeds that of the Seattle superstar.
Minnesota’s Receiver Room Could Get Very Expensive Down The Line
Minnesotarecently picked up the fifth-year option worth $18 million on fellow receiver Jordan Addison, meaning the Vikings’ receiving room will be a very expensive one in 2027. Should they look to extend him as well, the cost will only go up, giving Minnesota one of the most expensive wide receiver duos in the league.
With extensions for offensive tackle Brian O’Neill and potentially even quarterback Kyler Murray also brewing in the future, Minnesota may have to get creative with how they dish out some of this money. Still, paying Jefferson is non-negotiable, and he’ll get paid one way or another.
Fortunately for Minnesota, it looks to be very unlikely Jefferson expresses any sort of discontent with his deal, which runs through 2028. At that time, he’ll almost certainly sign yet another record-breaking contract, and continue his trajectory as one of the all-time wide receiver greats.