WATCH: Justin Jefferson Appears to Be at Vikings Minicamp
In a turn of events that was truly unsurprising, Justin Jefferson was a no-show during the Vikings OTAs this spring as the reigning Offensive Player of the Year awaited a new contract extension. Jefferson had his fifth-year option of $19.743 million in 2024 picked up, but the receiver is set to make just $2.399 million in 2023, an extreme underpay for someone coming off a season in which he recorded 128 receptions and 1809 yards.
After sitting out OTAs, it would have been unsurprising if Jefferson also was to sit out this week’s mandatory minicamp. We haven’t seen any news of a new contract extension, so what would be the motivation for coming back now?
Apparently, though, the receiver is back in the facilities this week for the minicamp. On Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings Twitter account posted a video of Jefferson jogging out onto the practice field, and they tagged him in the video as well. Take a look for yourselves:
This likely means one of two things. Either the two sides have come to an agreement on a contract that is yet to officially be announced, or the receiver is living up to comments over the past couple years that he truly does not care about what his next contract looks like.
Regardless, the fact that Jefferson is back in the building is great news for the Vikings heading into 2023. His impact on Minnesota’s offense over the past few years is incalculable, and he is a huge reason why the Vikings won 13 games and the NFC North during 2022.
With other players like Saquon Barkley, Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter reportedly holding out, there has certainly been some drama going around the league in regard to contract stalemates.
Jefferson’s presence is certainly reassuring in regard to where he and the Vikings stand with each other. The assumption should be that a new contract extension gets done sooner rather than later, and it will likely reset the receiver market.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.