Vikings hope to re-sign Justin Jefferson before Week 1

Vikings superstar receiver Justin Jefferson is all about eye-catching stats. Now, in return, will Minnesota give him an eye-popping new deal that’ll reset an NFL salary trend?

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that the Vikings are trying to lock down an extension for Jefferson by the start of the regular season. On Tuesday, teams were finishing their final cuts to a 53-man roster, so you can put a pin in the preseason. Hello, regular season.

The Vikings kick off the season on Sept. 10 when they play host to the Buccaneers. So if projections are correct, Jefferson will be far richer, maybe the richest receiver in the league, by that game.

Breer wrote:

“No one’s talking much about it, but the Vikings are making an effort to get wide receiver Justin Jefferson signed before the season starts. Jefferson’s kept a pretty low profile about this one, and talks, as far as I can tell, have gone fine. When I visited with him a few weeks back, he told me his absence from parts of the offseason were about endorsement opportunities, not the contract.

“He did call getting a life-altering second contract ‘a dream of mine. It’s been a dream since I was 7 years old.’ But then he added, ‘I’m definitely not letting that contract stuff get in the way of my team. We have to be focused on getting to the Super Bowl.’ Easier to do, of course, when you know, sooner or later, you’ll be paid at the top of the market.”

Justin Jefferson probably wants a deal in the Tyreek Hill range

The Vikings selected Justin Jefferson, aka Joe Burrow‘s favorite receiver, out of LSU with the 22nd pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. His impact on the Vikings and the NFL was immediate. In three seasons, he’s caught 324 passes for 4,825 yards and 25 touchdowns. He earned a spot in the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons.

Last year was spectacular. Jefferson led the NFL with 128 receptions. His yardage total of 1,809 also was a league best. It’s why he earned the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award. Plus, his 2022 season set Vikings team records as he surged past Randy Moss. Overall, his yardage represented 37.5 percent of the Vikings’ receiving yards.

So the main question will be whether Justin Jefferson receives Tyreek Hill kind of money. The Dolphins wideout is the highest-paid receiver in the NFL. When he signed as a free agent from the Chiefs, Miami agreed to give him a four-year, $120 million contract. Raiders star Davante Adams had a somewhat similar pact to rank No. 2. The money was the same, but his deal is for five years. Then there’s Cooper Kupp of the Rams. He earns $26.7 million a year to rank third in the league.

Need other numbers? A.J. Brown of the Eagles makes $25 million per year for fourth place. Stefon Diggs (Buffalo) and DK Metcalf (Seattle) are tied for fifth at $24 million.

Besides Justin Jefferson, there also could be other big contracts to drop soon. The 49ers are dealing with defensive end Nick Bosa, while the Chiefs need to sign defensive tackle Chris Jones. Plus, we’re keeping an eye on Joe Burrow. Like Jefferson, he’s still under his rookie contract.