Expensive Viking Is So Good, He’s Still a Bargain
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco recently released his annual top 100 list of NFL players. Two Vikings made it, with receiver Justin Jefferson coming in 5th and tackle Christian Darrisaw 59th. We’ve then named a handful of snubs.
Expensive Viking Is So Good, He’s Still a Bargain
Among those, surely were some bargains GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah found in his tenure. The obvious name that comes to mind is pass rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, who signed a two-year deal worth $20 million. His first campaign in purple was worth more than that alone, and the club rewarded him with a one-year extension.
But since he was not on the list, Prisco’s colleague Cody Benjamin didn’t include him in the all-bargain team he assembled from the rankings. However, he welcomed one of Van Ginkel’s teammates: Justin Jefferson.
That might come as a surprise because the standout pass-catcher signed a record-breaking contract 12 months ago. Yet, he’s still part of the bargain team that primarily includes guys on rookie deals or veterans who are widely underpaid.
Benjamin wrote: “Jefferson accounts for the largest 2025 cap hit on our All-Bargain Team’s payroll, but the truth is he’s a steal at any price. Five years in, he’s already well clear of 7,000 receiving yards for his career. And he just makes it all look so easy; there isn’t another wideout who makes splash plays more routine. The Vikings compensate him well, but the rest of the NFL would love to have him as a quarterback’s best friend.”
Had you asked any Vikings fan last year, they would’ve told you the same thing: There’s no price too high for the former LSU receiver. Jefferson is so good that nobody even raised an eyebrow when he signed his four-year extension that will pay him $140 million.
The other reason, besides his talent, that helps him make the list is the contract structure. Like with most contracts, the Vikings made sure to backload the cap hits. He’s due just $15.9 million against the salary cap this year, and that’s the number Benjamin is using to form his team. It’s worth a mention, though, that those cap hit numbers are just for accounting reasons. He will earn more than that this year (almost $32 million).
The two other wideouts on the all-bargain team are Puka Nacua, who showed last season that his explosive rookie campaign was not a fluke, and Brian Thomas Jr., who had an electric debut season himself.
Jefferson inexplicably fell all the way to the Vikings in the 2020 draft, and Rick Spielman used a pick he acquired by sending Stefon Diggs to Buffalo to bring the national champion to the Twin Cities.
It only took Jefferson a couple of weeks until he torched a decent football team in the Tennessee Titans for 175 yards, helping him generate 1,400 yards all season. In year two, he even elevated his numbers to 1,616 yards.
New head coach Kevin O’Connell drew up even more targets for him in his first season in charge, and Jefferson won Offensive Player of the Year. The 2023 campaign was a statistical down-year because Jefferson missed seven full games and parts of two others, but he shockingly still eclipsed 1,000 yards. Back at full strength, he accumulated 1,533 yards in 2024.
His next challenge will be to form a bond with young passer J.J. McCarthy, just like he did with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold. No receiver is entirely quarterback-proof, but Jefferson put up big numbers with either, and even Nick Mullens was able to feed him some big games.
Jefferson signed for $35 million per season. A big number, no doubt, but totally reasonable in today’s market. His college teammate, Ja’Marr Chase, received an extension worth $40 million annually. CeeDee Lamb, DK Metcalf, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Brandon Aiyuk, and Tyreek Hill are all within $5 million of Jefferson. In the next 12 months, various other receivers will sign huge contracts, and the Jefferson salary will look like a bargain sooner rather than later.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.