In one of the least surprising decisions of the last month, the Minnesota Vikings are picking up the fifth-year option on Justin Jefferson's contract.
The team announced the move on Tuesday, which secures Jefferson's services under his existing rookie contract through the 2024 season.
The only surprise in this news is the fact Jefferson is still on a rookie contract. He's made a massive impact for the Vikings in such a short amount of time, it's easy to forget Jefferson hasn't yet signed a lucrative deal.
That deal is coming. How much it will be worth is unknown.
In terms of average annual salary, the highest-paid receiver is currently Miami's Tyreek Hill, who forced a trade to the Dolphins with the goal of receiving a lucrative deal ($30 million per year). The Raiders' Davante Adams comes in right behind him at $28 million per year, followed by the Cardinals' DeAndre Hopkins ($27.25 million), the Rams' Cooper Kupp ($26.7 million) and the Eagles' A.J. Brown ($25 million).
Jefferson is undoubtedly worth that type of money, and it's fair to expect him to flirt with resetting the market, especially if the Vikings move on from quarterback Kirk Cousins (who is in the final year of his current deal in 2023) after the season. For now, they'll operate knowing they won't have to worry about losing Jefferson in 2024, with the luxury of time to get a bigger deal done.
