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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is arguably the best wide receiver in the league. The 25-year-old will enter the last year of his contract with the Vikings next season and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
There are expectations that he will sign a new deal with the franchise soon. However, that could be quite hard for the Vikings as the receiver is aiming to 'break the bank' in upcoming negotiations.
Justin Jefferson recently said:
"I want to break the bank and I want to be a part, you know, of an organization, you know, that wants me and really gives me what I deserve. So, you know, I feel like, you know, eventually the Vikings will, you know, do what they need to do to have me in the building.
"But you know, it, I don't really know, at this very moment, you know, only time will tell. I feel like I have the right people in my circle to, you know, negotiate and to, you know, do what's right. I feel like this whole process of how we handle things and how we, you know went up accordingly with the season and the contract stuff, I felt like we did a great job with it."
Jefferson is coming off an injury-ridden campaign in which he missed seven games due to a hamstring injury. In the 10 games that he played, the LSU product had 68 catches for 1,074 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 107.4 receiving yards per game.
Last season, he had 128 catches for 1,809 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games. Jefferson also won the Offensive Player of the Year award last year and cemented himself as one of the league's best players. As a result, he knows his value and is aiming to get paid a significant amount of money.
Can the Vikings afford Justin Jefferson?
The Minnesota Vikings will enter the offseason with a cap space of $24.6 million. Jefferson will enter the last year of his contract while Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter will be free agents.
If the Vikings bring back Cousins, then it will be tough for them to offer a lucrative extension to Jefferson. However, if they draft a new quarterback or trade for Justin Fields, that could free up some money for their star wide receiver.
In 2022, Tyreek Hill signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the Miami Dolphins, and Davante Adams signed a five-year, $140 million contract extension with the Las Vegas Raiders. Justin Jefferson is expected to earn a lot more than $30 million annually and his deal can easily surpass the $160 million mark.
As a result, if the Vikings cannot afford him, they may consider trading him this offseason. Although the chances of that happening are slim, it is possible, as it transpired when Hill was with the Kansas City Chiefs and Stefon Diggs was with the same franchise as Jefferson.
