“Eff Around and Find Out:” Insider Has Harsh Words for the Vikings in Regard to Justin Jefferson’s Contract Situation
Justin Jefferson has not been present at the first practices of OTAs this week.
It seems to be a direct result of the star wide receiver having yet to receive a long-term contract extension with the Vikings as he heads into the fifth and final season of his rookie deal. When Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk learned of this news, the insider had some very harsh words for the Vikings because of how they’ve handled this contract situation.
Mike Florio Has Harsh Words for the Vikings
Florio joined KFAN earlier this week, and he suggested that Minnesota is now “playing games” with their best player. “If you want him, you pay him. If you don’t, you trade him. You don’t do this half-measure; we’re gonna play games with him. And my intel is, from Jefferson’s perspective, there may be a perception that they’re playing games with him, and that doesn’t end well. Eff around and find out is the mantra that they need to keep in mind if they are indeed effing around with JJ,” Florio said.
It makes sense that there would be at least some concern on that front as June and July approach. Jefferson has been an integral part of the Vikings’ offense since he entered the league in 2020.
With Minnesota intent on turning J.J. McCarthy into their next quarterback of the future following the departure of Kirk Cousins, surrounding the young QB with as much talent as possible over the next couple years will be a crucial piece in ensuring the 21-year-old develops into a strong NFL quarterback.
Even still, the Vikings’ leadership has remained completely confident that a deal will get done at some point. Kevin O’Connell said just last week in regard to the situation, “I know everything’s gonna get worked out there. Justin knows the love and admiration that I have for him, and he knows he’s such a big part of what we do around here, on and off the field.”
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah also had a similar thought process in his post-draft comments, “You know that friend that has a birthday that takes the month? I think Justin would deserve his whole month if we signed a contract to celebrate it. We’re excited to work towards it. We’re going to keep going. You can’t have all these plans when you talk about all these visions and not talk about the king linchpin, so we’re going to keep working toward that end goal.”
Jefferson himself has also expressed plenty of gratitude for Minnesota being the team to take a chance on him in the draft, and he wants to continue playing with the Vikings. Jefferson said back in February, “I definitely am grateful for what Minnesota has done for me. I definitely wouldn’t be in this situation if they didn’t pick me […] With everything that has happened, and everything I have gave to the organization, of course, I would want to stay, and that’s where I’ve been calling home ever since I got into the league.”
Ultimately, only time will tell if and when an extension gets done for the star wide receiver. If it does happen, it likely will be the most lucrative deal ever handed to a non-QB in NFL history.
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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.