Justin Jefferson appears to want to depart the Minnesota Vikings.
Justin Jefferson appears to be considering leaving the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings of 2022 made the playoffs after finishing first in the NFC North during the regular season, but they were defeated 31-24 by the New York Giants in the Wild Card Round on Sunday night.
Kirk Cousins looked like the best version of himself throughout the game, hurling two touchdowns and 273 yards while completing 31 of 39 passes.
Tight end T.J. Hockenson has caught 10 receptions for 12.9 yards per catch this season. Justin Jefferson recorded only seven receptions for 6.7 yards per catch and had little impact on the game.
Following the game and the Vikings’ elimination from the playoffs, media flocked to Jefferson’s locker and began pressing him about his contract situation and whether or not he plans to pursue a long-term deal with the team.
“I mean, I’ll go wherever they want me to go. If they need me, I’ll be there. “That’s not something I have much control over,” Jefferson told reporters.
That does not appear to be promising.
Jefferson, 23, is definitely a player the Vikings will want to keep around. After all, he just finished a season that earned him Offensive Player of the Year accolades, leading the league in receptions (128) and yards (1,809). Not to add that he has appeared in the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons.
The Vikings’ 2020 first-round selection has done everything he can to carry this offense, and signing him to a long-term agreement would undoubtedly be near the top of their priority list, but his recent words imply that he may not be all that interested in staying.
Jefferson is currently due to earn $4.1 million next season, but this offseason will be the first time he will be able to negotiate a new contract since completing his third professional season. After established himself as a superstar-caliber player over the last several seasons, there is little doubt that he will want to be one of the highest-paid receivers in the game.
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