Justin Jefferson Reckless Trade Speculation Is Upon Us
We’ve reach the depths of the offseason, which means there’s some rather reckless trade speculation about All-World WR Justin Jefferson.
When franchises are seemingly in “limbo”, they will naturally be brought up in these rumors. The Vikings are a bit more prone to these rumors, especially at the wide receiver position. This is because they traded away Stefon Diggs back in 2019 when he was approaching his prime. Diggs was sent to Buffalo, and in return, the Vikings received a 2020 first-rounder, fifth-rounder, sixth-rounder, and a 2021 fourth-rounder in return for Diggs and a 2020 seventh rounder from Minnesota.
The Vikings would use that 2020 first-rounder to select Justin Jefferson. I guess you could say they made out pretty well with the whole ordeal. Diggs wanted out, he went to Buffalo and was a top-10 receiver for a good time, and Minnesota upgraded at the position with Jefferson. Now, since that trade apparently set a standard, Jefferson himself has seen himself in speculative trade rumors made up out of thin air.
Justin Jefferson Rumor Mill Keeps on Turning
The latest idea comes from Alex Kay of Bleacher Report.
The proposed deal from Kay goes a little something like this:
- Bills receive: WR Justin Jefferson
- Vikings receive: 2027 1st, 2027 2nd, 2027 4th, 2028 3rd, 2028 5th
This would obviously be an absolutely massive haul to receive for Jefferson. However, this simply just probably isn’t going to happen. Offseason talking points get redundant and you have to get creative sometimes, but this trade hypothetical stems from basically nothing.
Sure, the Vikings’ QB situation is a bit choppy right now, and KOC may be coaching for his job, but there is no reason to trade Justin Jefferson at the current moment. Justin Jefferson is one of the best wide receivers on the planet, and on a completely different tier than where Diggs was at the time that he was traded.
Kay provided some potential reasoning for trading Jefferson, citing the Vikings’ potential need for a QB after this season.
“Dealing Jefferson in exchange for a massive amount of capital would position the Vikings to land one of the coveted quarterback prospects set to be available in the 2027 draft. With a slew of high-end signal-callers set to enter the league next offseason, Minnesota can’t afford to miss out if it wants to return to prominence in the brutally tough NFC North.”
It’s a fine point, but it’s based on the assumption that both Murray and McCarthy flame out. Even so, it’s incredibly difficult to imagine a scenario in which Justin Jefferson is traded away.
Justin Jefferson is Here to Stay (Most Likely)
Justin Jefferson is a beacon in major Minnesota sports. From the business side, he brings in lots of big bucks to the Wilf Family, and is even becoming a figure outside of the sport.
Additionally, trading Jefferson away is basically waving a white flag on the present time. Jefferson isn’t just one of the best receivers in the NFL. Rather, he’s one of the best football players on the planet. He is currently in his prime, and the Vikings are in a “win-now” window. To trade Justin Jefferson would be symbolism of a large shift in the franchise’s plans.
