For a brief time leading up to the NFL Combine, some had thought that Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson was going to be made available via trade. That rumor has since been silenced by Vikings’ general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
With that now in the rearview, the Vikings and Jefferson can get back to reality. A reality that is expected to make the star WR a very rich man. Just how much money is Jefferson expected to pull in? We discuss that and more as reports of his potential annual per-year pay begin to leak out ahead of an agreed-upon deal.
Justin Jefferson Expected To Make North of $30 Million Annually
NFL contracts are expected to explode with the increase of the salary cap, which is north of $255 million now. With there being more cash to spend, player contracts are also expected to rise with the increase. A beneficiary of this looks to be the Vikings’ superstar wide receiver.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano indicates that Minnesota expected to sign Jefferson to a deal that will pay him more than $30 million per year. That annual per-year average would sit at the top, tied with Miami Dolphins superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and be $2 million more than the next highest. Las Vegas Raiders WR DaVante Adams currently sits with an average annual salary of $28 million per year.
Hill’s total salary is $120 million while Adams’ is $140 million, setting a benchmark of sorts for what Jefferson can expect to command in totality with his reported market-setting contract.
Jefferson is only 24 years old with his best years ahead of him. Despite the massive figure he’s expected to command, the Vikings very well could end up signing the game’s brightest young star before he truly hits his prime.
Unlike Hill, who is 30, and Adams (32), Jefferson has six years to go before the talk of the dreaded age of 30 is even in the conversation, setting Minnesota up for a chance to have an excellent return on their investment.
Sooner Rather Than Later May Be Ideal for Vikings
While the number on the surface seems to be groundbreaking, the Vikings may have every incentive under the sun to get to the negotiating table sooner rather than later. With other wideouts — such as Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb — expected to command similar numbers, getting Jefferson under contract before Lamb could be crucial to saving on the deal.
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If Lamb and Dallas can agree before Jefferson, it would only raise Jefferson’s price. He and his agency would surely look to top Lamb and his newly inked deal. So while the number looks big now, the longer the wait, the more possibility for it to grow.
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