Justin Jefferson Opens Up About His Contract in Recent Interview with Bleacher Report
A big topic of the 2023 NFL offseason has regarded Justin Jefferson and his looming contract extension.
The eventual extension is expected to make Jefferson the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, and it likely also will eclipse that of every non-QB in the league in terms of annual value.
Jefferson opened up about this eventual contract in a recent interview with Bleacher Report’s Tyler Conway. Minnesota Vikings fans will once again be happy to see that Jefferson is not concerned with how much money he makes on his next deal.
“I wouldn’t really say it’s an important aspect for me,” Jefferson said. “My parents always had money and I was blessed to be a part of a two-parent household that supported me and pretty much gave me anything I needed in the sports aspect and daily life. So money wasn’t my main need. It’s really all about playing the game that I love, playing the game that I’ve been playing since I was 7 years old. Now it’s to the point of contract talks and being one of the highest paid. That’s a dream that I would love to happen someday, but it’s not my main priority.”
Considering Jefferson’s production over his first three NFL seasons, it would be perfectly reasonable for him to expect the moon and more from the Vikings organization. He led the league in both receptions and receiving yards last year — totaling 128 receptions and 1809 yards — and became the youngest player in NFL history to accomplish the feat.
Before his fourth NFL season even begins, he sits just 687 yards behind Michael Thomas for the most receiving yards through an NFL player’s first four years. His 4825 career yards ranks sixth on this list, behind only Thomas (5512), Randy Moss (5396 yards), Torry Holt (5088 yards), Jerry Rice (4881 yards), and A.J. Green (4874 yards).
If he were to eclipse that elusive 2000-yard mark as a receiver this season, he would not only shatter that four-year record, but it would actually give him the highest receiving total of any player through their first five seasons. Currently, that record is held by Holt, who recorded 6784 yards during his first five years with the St. Louis Rams. Jefferson sits in 41st on that list of five-year players, 1959 yards behind Holt.
Again, Jefferson deserves a blank check from the Vikings for everything he has done throughout his young career. That being said, the star receiver has a different focus in mind: a Super Bowl.
In the same interview with Bleacher Report, Jefferson reminisced back to his final year at LSU when the Tigers won a national championship in 2019. He wants to create the same culture in Minnesota that his LSU team had.
“I think back to LSU days when we won the national championship. Our team was just so together, connected with one another. All of us were just best friends. We wanted the best for each other, and we all wanted that one goal to win the national championship. So I feel like we need to have that same mindset—all of us need to connect as one. Have that one goal to reach for—to win a Super Bowl—and then do whatever it takes to make it happen.”
Jefferson has backed up this talk all offseason. Despite being fully in his right to hold out of mandatory minicamp or even the start of training camp, the star receiver reported to both. He was also asked about the contract when he reported to camp, and his response put a smile on Vikings fans’ faces across the world.
“That’s not the worry that I have right now. It’s really about winning a Super Bowl, getting the wins, and being with my team.”
The Vikings have high hopes this year afer winning the NFC North last year with a 13-4 record. In order to build on that success, the team needs all of their star players to buy in on this year. Jefferson has done just that.
For more on the star receiver (including his thoughts on flag football and the NFL running back controversy), be sure to go over to Bleacher Report and read through Conway’s entire conversation with him. Again, you can find that interview here.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. 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.